This question has come from a cell phone. Please provide your answer WITHOUT using links or attaching images, docs, etc. (You must still give your source, however). Attention Council Members: If this query is in the wrong category, be sure to put it in the appropriate category.
Here is the question: How do treat a hardened toe nail which is also discoloured?
Response from:
Sherin lloyd, Registered Member on
Ammas.com
Source:
This information comes from my own knowledge.
Hi,
Ingrown toe nails is fairly a common problem and most of the times not a medical condition or infection. It's rather due to improper habits or ignorance.
It's very important that you cut the nails straight and also avoid trimming them too short.
Avoid keeping legs soaked in water too much.
Wear right fitting footwear.
Keep your legs clean and dry.
These are ways to prevent or avoid ingrown toe nails. Now, back to question. in any case you already have it:
Check with a doctor to determine if it's due to infection or other medical causes. If it's not ask suggestions on ways to handle it and if it's a yes - Take Treatment.
Next you can follow simple home remedies if it's just a painful ingrown nail sans infection.
The first thing to do is clean you legs well and soak in a tub of warm water with Epsom salt added to it. After a while, clean it well including the affected finger and it's edges.
Apply a lotion or cream for the nail and an anti septic to avoid infection and reduce inflammation.
Also a liquid like Dr. Scholl's Toe Nail Liquid to soften it. They also give a toe cap which can be used on affected nail. They state it helps with the healing process. This can help for a few ... I have tried the liquid and found the pain is considerably less.
Once the pain is manageable, try to pull out the ingrown nail and place a wooden stick (like match stick). This is painful but very effective to bring the nail out and to create a way for the nail to grow out. Once you bring the nail to a good height ... then you the problem is solved. Then on, cut the nail straight.
With reference to discoloration, it will fade once the problem is solved and the new nail comes up. So don't worry about it ... but lotions and cream can help you with discoloration and also the hardness to reduce.
Your description about dark toenails is too brief to be able to come up with a diagnosis and treatment with any degree of certainty. In any case, with a problem like discolored toenails, it is usually not possible to conclusively diagnose the problem and suggest some treatment without actually seeing the toes and dark toenails in person. There are several possibilities, and only a direct physical examination will make things clear.
It is unlikely that you are suffering from anything even remotely serious, but it is still advisable that you visit a doctor in order to find out what is going on and what you can do about your dark toenail. For the time being however, we will suggest a few possibilities, even though some of them might seem rather obvious; very often people assume they have some serious problem without first considering the most obvious and simple possibilities. That you have not been cleaning your toenails properly maybe the first cause of dark toenails. The feet are much more exposed to dust, dirt, and pollution than the hands, and if they are not cleaned well, the toenails can eventually reach the point where they actually seem to be discolored. The solution is of course simple – just make sure that you scrub your feet well.
Another simple cause of toenail discoloration is that you have injured yourself. When you stub your toe, you very often end up with some amount of bleeding. If the bleeding occurs under the toe nail, the blood has no place to go, as a result of which it will accumulate under the nail and cause the nail to appear black. Bleeding does not necessarily mean a serious injury – it could have been a small bump that you forgot about an hour later. There is no real treatment for such an injury, unless you are experiencing an unusual amount of pain, which does not seem to be the case with you. Simply ensure that you rest your feet adequately, and keep them clean to avoid developing an infection. Finally, it is possible that you have a discolored toenail because you have developed a fungal infection. Fungal infections usually cause the toe nail to become yellowish and cloudy, but it is possible that for some reason the infection has caused your nail to become unusually dark. Fungal infections can sometimes be treated by soaking your feet in a solution of vinegar and water, but the best course of action would be to show your foot to your doctor.
To clean your feet follow this simple steps at home weekly once.
1)Wash your instruments in soap and water, and rinse them with alcohol or antiseptic.
2)Mix 2 tbsp. mild household detergent, or betadine solution, into 1/2 gallon of warm water. Dip your foot in the water and soak for 10 minutes.
3)Cut the affected nail straight across with a nail clipper.
4)With a clean nail file and a wisp of cotton, clean out the debris under and around the sides of the nail.
5)Also take a nail brush or old toothbrush and brush off as much flaky nail debris as possible
6)Thoroughly clean the area with warm, soapy water, and apply an antiseptic solution.
7)it is better to ask your podiatrist if the cause of your discolored nails is an underlying fungal infection. If so, begin oral or topical antifungal treatments
Thick toenails are often the result of a toenail fungus. In some cases however toenails can thicken due to wearing tight shoes.
Some of the symptoms of toenail fungus include thickening of the nail, discoloration of the nail, brittleness resulting in crumbling, fogging of the nail, and spots. You may also smell a slight stench coming from under the nail. Often but not always you may feel a slight pain while putting weight on the infected toe.
Hi,I hope this helps you with your question.. While most people will simply brush off a discolored toenail by believing that there is no more to it than a reduction of aesthetic appeal, a discolored toenail could point to something actually being very wrong. Unless there is a better explanation such as trauma to the nail which resulted in bleeding and thus blackening under the nail, there is a very high possibility of there being a fungal nail infection. Some other possibilities for the discoloration include a bacterial growth under the nail or the excessive use of nail polish. Toenail fungus will tend to invade the nail and result in not only a discoloration of the nail but a noticeable splitting, thickening and separation of the nails as well. The nail discoloration will generally start from the nail bed and work its way up to the upper layers of the nail and only stop when the entire nail has been damaged. The fungus could cause brown, yellow or even black discoloration in the toenail. Once the fungal infection has damaged the toenail to an advanced extent, even the most successful remedies will take a substantial amount of time to show results. As a result, taking care of the toenail when you first notice the condition starting to develop is essential in the curing process.
Toenail fungus is relatively hard to eliminate and requires being treated with anti fungal medications or topical anti fungal medications. However, since prescription drugs are relatively expensive, a lot of people choose to treat the condition with the use of natural topical remedies. Some of the best home remedies incorporate the use of tea tree oil, which is known to have tremendous anti fungal properties. Soaking your feet in a tub filled with an anti fungal oral mouthwash is also known to show significant improvements in the condition as a result of its anti fungal properties. This method also helps restore the nail to its original color, however, much like the development of the condition, the recuperation is gradual and results will only be seen over a period of time. In order to prevent the onset of the condition, it is advisable that you avoid walking barefoot in public shower facilities, locker rooms, or rest rooms as the dark, warm and most environments of these locations provide the optimum conditions for fungus to spread and breed. Instead, make sure that your feet are clean and dry at all times and avoid the sharing of shoes or socks.
Get the latest queries and responses via Important Disclaimer: This question and answer system is open to the public. The opinions expressed are those
of their individual authors, as attributed beside each item of advice. Neither the authors nor the information they
provide are endorsed by this website. We recommend using common sense, making your own inquiries, and, if necessary,
seeking professional advice before relying on material generated on this site.
