What To Do With A Black Toenail

Every person has probably seen or even suffered from a black toenail. This painful little foot injury is very common among people who like to move a lot. It is fairly easy to treat as it is not a chronic ailment. However, if it is not attended to early, then it might turn into something serious.

Having a dark nail simply means that the blood in the area of the toe is not moving properly anymore. This could be because of too much pressure on the toe due to an outside factor or a growing fungus. Now the most common reason for this clotting is tight shoes because of the constriction of the blood in the foot.

Athletes are very prone to blood clotting because of the excess pressure that they put on their feet. When their toes brush hard against their sneakers when they make fast leg movements, it sometimes presses too hard and cause circulation problems. Of course another cause would be when something heavy would fall down on the toe of a person. This not only causes a clot but also a bruise and a wound.

Another common cause of a tainted toenail would actually be the growth of fungi. Usually, fungus would thrive in the skin right under the nail. When this happens, the blood circulation is disrupted and would cause a lot of pain and even sometimes infections.

Usually these discolorations will go away with time as long as they are not touched or aggravated. When the nail grows, the black part will also grow along with it and eventually disappear. However, if the pain is too much to handle, then an ice pack may be of use to reduce the swelling. Foot baths with warm water and Epsom salts can do wonders as well.

As for infections because of fungus, an anti fungal medicine will do. If one does not like to use drugs, then using mouthwash may be used as an alternative. This is because it contains ingredients that are known to kill most types of fungus. When it becomes too much to handle, then the best thing would be to visit a doctor.

These are the causes and some cures of a black toenail. Usually, this kind of injury can be treated at home with some of the methods mentioned above and a lot of rest. There are some cases though that end up bad and need medical attention quickly.