What Should You Do if Your Big Toenail Falls Off?
by Charlie Berry
Your big toenail likely does not rank too high on your list of daily worries. However, all of that can change when it starts to fall off. Losing the toenail can be a troubling and painful experience that could be a sign of a more serious underlying issue. If your big toenail is falling off or already has, here is what you need to know.
Why Is it Falling Off?
One of the most obvious causes of a big toenail falling off is an injury. For instance, if you drop a heavy object on the toe, you could inadvertently cause the toenail to fall off. Trauma or injury to the big toenail is often accompanied by other symptoms, such as bleeding, pain, and discoloration.
Your toenail can also fall off from an infection. You can contract the infection from a number of sources, including a public pool. The infection does not cause the toenail to immediately fall off. It can take days or weeks for the toenail to separate from the bed and fall off.
In the interim, you can experience symptoms, such as a thickening of the toenail, yellowish discoloration, swelling, and a foul order. You might even experience a discharge from the nail bed and some redness.
What Can You Do?
What steps you can take to treat your toenail depends on whether or not it has already fallen off. If it has not, you can use nail clippers to remove the parts of the toenail that are already loose. Doing this can potentially help you avoid the pain of the toenail catching on a sock or other object.
If the toenail is not showing any other symptoms, simply keeping it clean and monitoring it can be enough. The toenail will regrow over time.
A toenail that is accompanied by the symptoms of infection needs to be examined by a podiatrist. If left untreated, it could progress to the point that you are left immobile and with considerable foot pain. The podiatrist can assess the toenail and determine the best course of action.
If the toenail's condition is the result of an infection, your doctor will likely prescribe fungal infection. In some instances, when the toenail is causing considerable pain, a matrixectomy is performed. The procedure involves removing not only the toenail, but its root. Although you will get relief from the removal, the toenail will not regrow.
To learn more about foot pain, visit resources like http://familyfootanklephysicians.com/.
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About Me
I used to be skeptical about chiropractic healing. However, that was before I tried it for myself. I was in an accident that did serious damage to my back. I followed all of the doctor’s recommendations, did my physical therapy, and still didn’t feel any better. That was when I finally decided to try going to my friend’s chiropractor. It was such a relief when I finally started to feel better thanks to the great chiropractic care I received. That’s when I decided to start researching chiropractic care and how it could be used to treat different conditions. This blog contains the results of that research. If you’re looking for a way to feel better, you too may benefit from chiropractic healing. These articles will help you learn how.