When should you worry about a toenail?

Assess your symptoms

Swollen, red skin on one side of the affected toenail. Pain and tenderness in your toe. Pain from the pressure of wearing shoes. Overgrown skin at the tip of the toe or alongside the nail.

When should I be concerned about my toenail?

See your doctor if you notice your nail has turned brown or black, if it suddenly hurts, or if it pulls away from the nail bed. If you have diabetes and you notice that the look of your toenails has changed even a little, see your doctor right away to prevent the problem from getting worse.

When should you go to the doctor for a nail?

You may want to see a health care provider if self-care steps haven't helped and the nail becomes increasingly discolored, thickened or misshapen. Also talk with your health care provider if you have: Diabetes and think you're developing nail fungus. Bleeding around the nails.

What does an infected toenail look like?

Infected nails are usually thicker than normal and could be warped or oddly shaped. They can break easily. Nails with fungus might look yellow. Sometimes a white dot shows up on the nail and then gets bigger.

What does a damaged toe nail look like?

Your toenail may look like a black, blue or purple bruise. Other nail trauma is painful and can cause your nail to accidently tear or split (lacerations), fall off completely (avulsion), or it can cause an ingrown toenail. [Also read “Common Shoe Mistakes That Could Be Crushing Your Feet.”]

What To Do if Your Toenail Falls Off

How do I know if my toenail is permanently damaged?

If a damaged nail has not grown out normally after 12 months the damage is permanent. Nail plates grow forward from the germinal matrix which lies under the cuticle skin at the base of the nail called the eponychium.

What does a diabetic toe nail look like?

People with diabetes are more likely than those without diabetes to get a fungal infection called onychomycosis. This infection usually affects the toenails. The nails will turn yellow and become brittle.

Will an infected toenail heal itself?

If your nail is infected, it won't heal on its own. The only way to treat the infection and prevent painful complications is to visit a podiatrist like Dr. Butts for ingrown nail care.

Can an infected nail go away on its own?

Fungal nail infections typically don't go away on their own, and the best treatment is usually prescription antifungal pills taken by mouth. In severe cases, a healthcare professional might remove the nail completely. It can take several months to a year for the infection to go away.

Should I go to doctor for infected toenail?

If you detect any signs of an ingrown toenail infection like pain, swelling, irritation, abscess, redness, you should immediately go to see a foot doctor or podiatrist.

What does a bacterial nail infection look like?

The skin appears reddened and swollen, and the infection may discolor the nail or lead to distortion of its shape. In more severe cases, pus may collect and form an abscess at the base or sides of the nail. In such cases the skin feels fluctuant and looks whitish.

How will you identify if the nail has illness or infection?

If your nails turn yellow, thicken, and seem to stop growing, it could be a sign of something going on inside your body. Lung disease and rheumatoid arthritis can cause yellow nails. You may also have a serious nail infection, which requires treatment.

What are the 5 common nail problems?

This article therefore helps clinicians to find the right treatment of the 5 most common nail disorders (brittle nails, onycholysis, paronychia, psoriasis, and onychomycosis) and provides practical tips that might improve patients' compliance.

What does a serious ingrown toenail look like?

Ingrown toenails commonly occur in your big toe. Signs that you have an ingrown toenail include: Swollen, red skin on one side of the affected toenail. Pain and tenderness in your toe.

What should a healthy toenail look like?

Healthy nails are usually clear in color and don't have any major issues like cracks, indentations, ridges, or abnormal shapes. If your toenails are turning yellow, it could be a result of something less serious, like aging or nail polish. Or it could be due to a more serious issue, like an infection.

What kills nail infection?

Your health care provider may prescribe an antifungal cream, such as efinaconazole (Jublia) and tavaborole (Kerydin). You rub this product into your infected nails after soaking. These creams may work better if you first thin the nails.

What happens if you dont treat an infected toenail?

Untreated ingrown toenails can become severely painful, and can easily get infected. If that infection isn't dealt with promptly, it can spread and deepen, potentially even reaching the bone. By this point, if you haven't sought help from a podiatrist, extreme measures like amputation may now be on the table.

How long does an infected toe nail last?

With treatment, the pus should be gone in 48 hours. Pain should be gone in 1 week. Area should be healed up in 2 weeks.

Will my toenail fall off if it's infected?

A nail fungal infection, known as onychomycosis, is one of the most common reasons that toenails detach from the nail bed and fall off.

What ointment is good for toe infection?

Ciclopirox topical solution is used along with regular nail trimming to treat fungal infections of the fingernails and toenails (an infection that may cause nail discoloration, splitting and pain). Ciclopirox is in a class of medications called antifungals.

What can I put on an infected toenail?

If bacteria caused the infection, an antibiotic cream or pill can clear up the problem. Fungal infections are treated with antifungal pills or cream. You can buy antifungal medicines over the counter or with a prescription from your doctor.

What does melanoma look like under a toenail?

This may look like a brown or black band in the nail — often on the thumb or big toe of your dominant hand or foot. However, this dark streak can show up on any nail. Dark skin next to your nail. Nail lifting from your fingers or toes.

What are the first signs of diabetes in feet?

Tingling, burning, or pain in your feet. Loss of sense of touch or ability to feel heat or cold very well. A change in the shape of your feet over time. Loss of hair on your toes, feet, and lower legs.

How does a diabetic toe start?

They can happen over time when high blood sugar damages the nerves and blood vessels in the feet. The nerve damage, called diabetic neuropathy, can cause numbness, tingling, pain, or a loss of feeling in your feet. If you can't feel pain, you may not know when you have a cut, blister, or ulcer (open sore) on your foot.

Should a damaged toenail be removed?

If you have a damaged toenail, you might be tempted to remove it yourself. But while damaged toenails sometimes fall off on their own, it's not a good idea to force that process. Removing a damaged toenail yourself could lead to serious complications that end up making matters worse.