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The response to the question below was authored by Marc Mitnick DPM

toe nail problem

by Rosa G
(Phoenix)

My big toe was pushed up against by a large desk and raised up partially. It hurt like heck but only bled a little. i pushed the nail back down and have been soaking it with hydrogen peroxide. It is a little sore and red at the top of the toe and a little at the right of the toe but it does not appear to be oozing. What other treatment should i be doing - do not think it requires a doctor visit at thi point. Should I put neosporin on it and wrap or just let it air out .

RESPONSE
Hi Rosa,

Time will tell if the nail will need medical care. In general, in cases of trauma to the nail, the nail is usually lifted off the nail bed. In some cases the nail can end up very loose; in other cases the nail is only partially loosened.
The potential problems that can arise are the following. The toe can become infected with bacteria where you will start to see oozing and you will also notice increased redness and pain. If this occurs you must see a doctor otherwise the infection may continue to worsen. I do not know anything about your medical status, including age, etc. but certain people are at more risk with toe infections than others.
Additionally, when the nail is lifted up it creates a focal point for fungus to invade the toe. This will usually result in

the new nail growing out very thick, unsightly and discolored. Fungus also has the propensity to spread to the adjacent toes and it is not uncommon for all the nails to then end up with fungus.
Aside from either bacterial or fungal infections, there is the issue of the nail plate itself. If the nail has been lifted up at all, at some point, the nail is going to come off. It is not uncommon for a patient to tell me they either were taking their socks off or putting them on they accidently pulled the nail off. Talk about pain!
For that reason alone you might want to see a foot specialist who will at least cut away as much of the loose nail as possible to prevent that from occurring.
The reason you eventually lose the nail is because once the original nail is traumatized and loosened to whatever extent, a new nail begins to grow underneath the old nail. Over time the new nail continually loosens up the old nail until the nail comes off either naturally, or by yanking it off with your socks.
The last thing you want to have happen is for the new nail to grow out with any kind of fungal growth on it, otherwise you run into the problems I just discussed.
So....as you can see by the above discussion, seeing a foot specialist for your nail problem might not be a bad idea.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

Mayo Clinic

Johns Hopkins Medicine

MedlinePlus

Arthritis Foundation

University of Rochester Medical Center

Harvard Health

Drugs.com

American Academy of Pediatrics

Penn State Medical Center

National Institutes of Health

Columbia University Department of Rehabilitation

ScienceDirect

Stanford Health Care

Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

Mount Sinai Hospital

Institute for Chronic Pain

University of Florida Health

American Family Physician

Cedars-Sinai

University of Maryland Medical Center

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Orthotics for multiple types of foot pain best buy in a pre-made orthotic click link below

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(location unknown)

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Unknown location

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Poland

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location unknown

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Seattle, WA

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New Jersey

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Evansville, IA

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San Diego, CA

Dr. Mitnick, Just want to say thank you so very much for your quick response and very informative reply! After reading what you had to say, I called the doctor's office and was able to get in and see him the same day as my injury. Toe was x-rayed and luckily, it is not broken or fractured. Very badly bruised and will probably lose the toe nail. And although my toe and toe nail are still very black and blue and very sore, they ARE both starting to feel a little better. So again, thank you! I am so very happy that I came across your website. The service you provide is outstanding and immeasurable!

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Albany, NY

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Whichita, KS

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Colorado

Wonderful advice

by: Anonymous

This is the best site for foot problem info.

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location unknown

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North Carolina

Many Thanks Dr Marc!
Thank you for your response. It sounds like a good plan to me. He did not cut the wart out first ...

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location unknown

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Florida

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a mom

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Bellevue, WA

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location unknown

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