When to Seek Urgent Care for Toenail Injuries in Fairfield, CT

It can be surprising to see how something small as a stubbed toe can be painful and dangerous. And next thing you know, your toenail is black and blue! Facing this can be complex as you’d likely have difficulty deciding whether to wrap it up and let it heal on its own, or do you contact a health care provider?

Although you can treat some nail injuries at home, there will be times when you need a professional’s intervention. And it’s best to address toenail trauma ASAP as injuries in this area can significantly impact your life.

Read on to learn more about toenail injuries, the best time to meet up with a health care provider, and how to prevent toenail traumas altogether.

What Are the Common Causes of Toenail Injuries?

Aside from the rare instance where you stub your big toe, most toenail trauma cases come from repeated exposure to physical trauma. Active athletes, runners, or hikers often develop a condition dubbed “runner’s toe,” which causes a toenail to blacken due to repeated strain on their nails. Usually, this trauma causes bleeding under the nail, also known as “subungual hematoma.“

Toenail injuries can come from unexpected physical trauma, such as accidentally hitting a blunt object with exerted force, dropping something heavy on the nails, or accidentally puncturing it. Aside from that, it can also happen from excess repetitive motion. These can include a hammer or claw toe deformity caused by weight bearing or footwear continually rubbing against the nails when walking, running, jogging, or hiking.

Medical Complications From Toenail Trauma Infection

Although injuries to your toenails’ bed or tip are common in the feet and are treatable, when left untreated, these can lead to more severe medical conditions.

Untreated lacerations or other signs of bacterial infection on the soft tissue can infect the bones underneath. And once that reaches your bones or gets into your bloodstream, you’ll likely need a course of IV antibiotics to treat it. Or worse, you may need a partial digital amputation if the infection spreads throughout your body or when the condition is severe enough. Doing so stops the spreading to your other body parts.

Signs and Symptoms of Infection on a Toenail with Trauma

- Subungual hematoma.
- Severe pain.
- Inflammation.
- Redness.
- Your toenail releases a yellow, brown, green, red, or white discharge underneath.
- Raised nails.
- The toenails thicken.
- Nail dystrophy (when the nail splits in half or reduces size).
- Nail avulsion (when the whole or a portion of a nail loosens and falls off).

When to Seek Medical Attention for a Toenail Injury?

If the toenail injury isn’t too severe, you can care for it at home. So, if the nail isn’t cut or torn, the bruise covers less than a quarter of it, and your toes aren’t bent or distorted, try to stop the bleeding first.
If the blood underneath your toenail covers over half of your nail, it’s best to go to an urgent care clinic to have it drained and relieve pressure under your nail. Never try to resolve this issue yourself.
If the blood under your toenails doesn’t get drained thoroughly, it can lead to an infection. And sometimes, the doctor may need to remove the nail to repair the deep tears with stitches. As simple as it sounds, it isn’t something you should try doing yourself at home.
An urgent care provider may need to remove nail lacerations and avulsions. And when the nail bed dries up, they may recommend applying moisturizer or antifungal cream to keep it healthy and ensure proper regrowth. Aside from that, some providers may also suggest taking prescription antibiotics to stop infection.
If you can’t see your provider ASAP, bandage your nails and avoid trimming or caring for them yourself.

Treatment for Toenail Trauma Pain

When over 25% of your nail plate is bleeding underneath, there’s a high chance of you having a subungual laceration or a fractured bone. If this is the case, get urgent care to avoid infection. If the nails are intact and there’s under injury to their nail bed and excess pressure, it can lead to persisting pain on your toenails that may last for a few hours or several days.

Usually, draining the hematoma will be the only safe and efficient way to give you relief. And this is only possible via sterile technique, ensuring the bacteria doesn’t get into your wound or blood.

Generally, when nearly 25% of the nail blackens, the doctor will remove it to check the nail bed underneath. Once inspected, the physician will flush the blood and clean and repair the laceration. Moreover, they’ll take your X-ray to see if you have broken bones. And if detected, doctors repair exposed bones or bone fractures via surgery.

Will My New Toenail Look Deformed?

Toenails can take over a year to grow back, and the new growth might not look the same as what you had before. Any nail damage can lead to noticeable changes, making your nails look unusual. You may see grooves or ridges on your nails, which can look misshapen. Depending on the severity of the damage, these changes can be temporary or permanent.

Is It Possible to Prevent Toenail Trauma?

Although you might not be able to stop some toenail injuries from happening, here are some things you can do to protect your toes:

Use footwear that fits properly. Wear shoes that are the right size. A lot of people wear shoes that are too small, which can cause a lot of problems with their feet, including toenail trauma.
Always keep your toenails trimmed. Properly cut your toenails to reduce the risk of rubbing or pressure.
Keep the moisture levels in control if you have sweaty feet. If you’re vulnerable to sweaty feet, spraying your feet with antiperspirant before doing strenuous activities is ideal. People who tend to have sweaty or moist feet have a higher chance of getting ingrown toenails.
Invest in silicone or gel toe caps. If you’re susceptible to a toenail trap, wear toe caps or silicone to prevent blisters, rubbing irritation, or toenail loss.

Bottom Line

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above after getting your toenail injury, seek immediate care from a reliable urgent care clinic in Fairfield, CT, for an accurate diagnosis and efficient treatment ASAP. DOCS Fairfield Urgent Care in Fairfield, CT, offers all medical emergencies including toenail injuries, providing quality care for all patients.