Most of us have woken up one day, looked down at our fingernail and wondered what we did to make the nail black and blue, or even white, and some people run right out, when this occurs, and purchase a toe nail fungus treatment. Nails are something that the average person doesn’t quite understand; they cut them when they need to be cut, paint them or decorate them when they’re in the mood, curse when they break one, but otherwise they are ignored, until, that is, something goes wrong. The minute that your nail turns a color, you start to try to remember if you whacked the nail or did something to cause the colored mark. If you can’t figure out what you did, you may believe that you have some sort of toenail fungus requiring treatment. The truth is that there are many conditions that can cause your nails to go black, and the majority of them don’t require any treatment at all.
Subungual Hematoma
The most common cause of a toenail that goes black is a subungual hematoma. A subungual hematoma occurs due to direct trauma to the nail itself. For instance, if you’re trying to make dinner and accidentally drop a can on the end of the nail, you may wind up with a subungual hematoma. Most people will remember when they did something big, such as drop a can or hammer on their toes, and won’t wonder if they need toe nail fungus treatment or not. There are, however, instances in which a subungual hematoma can occur with you not even being aware that anything happened.
Microtrauma
If your toenail turns black and you can’t remember having any sort of trauma occurring on it, don’t immediately go out and purchase toenail fungus treatments, as you may not need them. A black toenail can occur due to something known as microtrauma. This trauma happens over time and is easily ignored. If you are someone who enjoys walking, or running, and your nail hits onto the front of your shoe, you may be the victim of microtrauma. As the toenail hits the shoe over and over, eventually it causes blood vessels to break under the nails. Before you know it, the blood will begin to pool as more and more vessels break, and the nail will be darkened.
Seeking A Physician’s Advice
There are instances when a subungual hematoma can be dangerous, and the nail may fall off leaving you at risk for further infection. Instead of purchasing treatment, or asking your friend and family which they were advised to use by a physician, you may want to seek out your own, as toenail fungus doesn’t blacken the nail but rather makes it yellowish or brownish in appearance. As a good rule of thumb, the minute you notice something wrong with your toenails, or your fingernails, you should speak with your physician, as a change in the nails could indicate that something else is going on in your body.
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