What To Do For A Smashed Toe Nail

Haemorrhage Under a Nail? What to Practise

Medically Reviewed past Sabrina Felson, MD on October 29, 2021

Your medico may phone call information technology a "subungual hematoma" if yous have bleeding nether a fingernail or toenail. It unremarkably happens if the nail gets crushed in an injury. It can crusade symptoms such equally intense pain and throbbing as blood collects under the nail.

Unless you also have broken bones or damage to the nail bed and/or surrounding tissues, this injury usually isn't worrisome.

What Causes Bleeding Under the Nail?

These injuries can happen easily. You might:

Slam your finger in a automobile door or house door
Hit your finger with a heavy object such as a hammer
Drib a heavy object such as a dumbbell on your toe
Stub your toe on a hard surface

If you take a darkened area under a blast and oasis't had an injury, see your medico to dominion out other possible causes.

What Are Subungual Hematoma Symptoms?

The most common symptom is severe, throbbing hurting. It happens because of the pressure of blood collecting between the nail and the nail bed.

You may also have:

A dark-colored discoloration (red, maroon, or purple-black) under all or function of the afflicted blast
Tenderness and swelling of the tip of the affected finger or toe

How Is a Subungual Hematoma Diagnosed?

If y'all had a severe accident to a finger or toe, you lot may take broken bones or serious damage to the nail bed and/or surrounding tissues. Seek medical attending from your doctor right away or go to an emergency room if:

The finger or toe is plain-featured.
A nearby joint was also injured.
More than a quarter of the boom is discolored or there is continuing, intense pain.
Signs of infection develop, such equally pus, redness, or rut around the nail, or a red streak extends from the wound.

Your doctor will examine your nail. You lot'll probably also have an X-ray taken to see if you accept a bone fracture or other injury.

How Is Bleeding Under the Nail Treated?

A small subungual hematoma may not need medical treatment. Ice and elevate the area to reduce swelling, and have over-the-counter anti-inflammatories like aspirin, Advil, or Motrin for minor pain.

But the pressure generated by pooled blood under the nail can be extremely painful.

To salvage it, your medico may perform decompression, as well called trephination, which allows the underlying blood to drain, relieving force per unit area and pain to the area.

Your doctor may numb the affected finger or toe with a nervus block and use one of the following decompression methods:

Cautery. The doctor uses a heated wire (electrocautery device) or carbon laser to burn a hole or holes. The heated tip of the wire is cooled past contact with the hematoma, which prevents injury to the nail bed. This is a quick and painless process.

Needle. The physician uses a needle to make a hole in the nail.

After the procedure, your doctor volition cast your nail. You will need to keep the finger or toe bandaged and elevated -- and may likewise need to use common cold compresses -- during the first 12 hours after decompression. In some cases, your physician may recommend you use a splint for as long as 3 days until the tenderness subsides.

The main complication associated with decompression is a small risk of infection in the residual hematoma.

If you lot have bleeding under a large area of the nail surface, the nail bed may be injured. In this case, your doctor may need to remove the entire blast and use stitches to repair the nail bed.

What Happens During Subungual Hematoma Recovery?

Unless the area of haemorrhage is very small, an afflicted nail will usually fall off on its ain subsequently several weeks because the pooled blood has separated it from its bed.

A new fingernail tin can regrow in equally little every bit 8 weeks. A new toenail may not fully regrow for about vi months. If there has been injury to the nail bed and/or surrounding tissues, the new nail may take longer to abound.

Even with the best repair, there is still a possibility that the new smash may grow dorsum and non look normal. See your doctor if you find whatsoever problems with the nail as information technology heals and regrows.

Source: https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/bleeding-under-nail

Posted by: hultgrenfelist.blogspot.com