Bruises under the nails. Possible causes and remedies

A subungual hematoma is a blood clot and can appear as a result of various injuries or exposure to other similar factors. As a result, the nail will have an unsightly appearance and will also be very painful. Therefore, it is important to know about all the features of the symptoms, the causes of the disease, its treatment and, of course, preventive measures.

How does a subungual hematoma appear?

Bruises (hematomas) under the nails are formed due to the accumulation of blood under the nail plate. The main risk factors leading to the formation of subungual hematomas are:

wearing uncomfortable, tight shoes;
taking certain medications that affect blood clotting (rare);
various injuries, blows to the finger;
skin cancer;
strong squeezing of a finger (for example, it can occur when pinched by a door or many other objects);
increased fragility of blood vessels.

Symptoms of the disease

Hematoma under the nail

If a person suffers a nail injury, he will undoubtedly feel pain. The degree of pain depends on the force of the blow, pinching, etc. During an injury, a gradual accumulation of blood begins to occur in the subungual area. The patient will complain of throbbing pain and swelling. The most important sign of the development of the disease is a change in the color of the nail plate.

It may become reddish with a hint of blue. Typically, after some time of blackening, the damaged area darkens to a purple color with shades of dark blue. The edges of the subungual hematoma become clearly visible, the darkened lesion decreases in size. By this period, the pain disappears completely or can only be felt if you press on the bruise.

When about 7 days have passed since the injury occurred, the bruise under the nail becomes black and its diameter is 3-5 mm. Then the pain disappears, the edges of the affected area are still clearly visible. After about another seven days, the subungual hematoma should resolve and disappear completely.

In most cases, it still does not disappear, so it can be found on the nail plate. At the beginning of the disease, a hematoma was an accumulation of blood formed under a person’s nail. Over the entire period of development, this blood is well absorbed into the nail plate, as a result of which it changes its color.

Therefore, the subungual formation often remains on the plate. It can be recognized by a spot or dot painted black. The hematoma can be coated with dark-colored varnish or masked using other similar methods, because this is completely safe. The plate will grow, and the hematoma will begin to move towards the free edge, which will soon allow it to be cut down using a file from a manicure set.

In general, such a subungual formation formed on the big toe or hand does not pose a danger to human life. Of course, for several days after the injury, the affected area hurts, like all bruises, but it does not cause any harm to health.

It is very unpleasant that the signs of a hematoma may be similar to the symptoms of some other serious diseases. Therefore, if you notice a suspicious dark spot on your nails, consult a doctor to get examined, and it is also recommended to remember the last few days and make sure that you have not been injured anywhere.

It is worth noting that sometimes local darkening of the nails can cause a fungal infection in its final stages. The variety of spots is quite rich, but each of them is very similar to a hematoma, which can be at both the initial and complicated stages of development.

Since they do not form at the very beginning of the disease, a person has the opportunity to undergo all kinds of necessary examinations prescribed by the doctor. If you haven't been injured anywhere in the last few days, you may have nail fungus.

With a subungual hematoma obtained on the legs, for about seven days after the injury, the person is very worried about the severe pain of the bruises. This can be observed even though the finger itself was not touched. Usually the nail hurts if you put pressure on it.

In addition, the pain causes discomfort even without pressure. It manifests itself as throbbing pain. With a fungus, unlike a subungual hematoma, the pain can be expressed to the smallest extent. The main sign of a fungal infection is itching.

Symptoms of nail fungus

When you notice the presence of at least one of the symptoms listed below, immediately go to see a doctor so that he can prescribe an examination and proper treatment for the disease. So, signs of fungus:

itching of the skin around sore fingers, peeling;
presence of bad odor;
the formation of cracks between the fingers, which are very
painful;
bluish or yellowish color of the nail plate;
fragility of the nail, brittleness.

Signs of a subungual hematoma may indicate that a person has diseases of the cardiovascular system. In most cases, all nails instantly take on a bluish color. What is the reason for this phenomenon? This indicates incomplete saturation of the fingertips with oxygen, so they become a little bluish, and the nails, accordingly, blue.

Often, bluing may indicate recent use of dark-colored varnish without applying a special protective coating. The nail may not have been fully painted if you applied the varnish after polishing. Dark color will appear in areas where the most intensive cutting took place.

Treatment

It is necessary that the treatment of subungual hematoma be carried out by doctors. Let's consider the features of the treatment process. First, iodine is taken and the nail is treated. (Other disinfectants may also be used.) Then the nail is punctured using a hot needle in the area where the greatest amount of blood accumulation is observed. (This place is usually the most convex).

As a result, blood begins to be released. If not, you should gently press down on the edge of the nail. After removal of the subungual formation is completed, the patient is given a cool bandage. Instead of a bandage, you can also take, for example, ice and place it on a clean, dry napkin. Then the nail plate is treated with a disinfectant again, and the bandage is placed on the finger.

This method of therapy for subungual hematoma promotes the release of blood, which promotes rapid healing and makes the affected area less painful. Using this method, treatment does not cause pain, because there are very few nerve endings in the nail. It is worth noting that it can cause the development of inflammation and the addition of some infections. But if the specialists do everything correctly, you won’t have to worry about anything.

Remember, if the subungual hematoma was under the toenail, you need to do this procedure without wearing shoes or find a fairly loose and comfortable model.

Traditional methods of treatment

A bruise under the nail (that is, hematoma) can be cured using many effective folk remedies. Let's consider several treatment options.

You can use plantain, because it eliminates pain and relieves inflammation. A thin plantain leaf is applied to the affected area.
It is very easy to prepare a tincture of lemon balm for compresses. You need to take 4 tbsp. l. lemon balm herbs, pour 400 ml of boiling water. Leave for half an hour, then start applying compresses.
Subungual hematoma is treated with ordinary onions. Onion juice is combined with the resulting mushy mass and applied to the diseased nail.
St. John's wort can be used. A decoction is prepared from it and used internally. Recommended dose – 1 tbsp. l. three to four times a day. In addition, the decoction is often used as a means of applying compresses.

Take care of the condition of your nails! Try to avoid injuries, give preference to loose shoes, and eat foods enriched with vitamins and microelements. If you suspect you have a subungual hematoma, consult a doctor, let him examine you, advise the correct diagnosis and treatment!

Methods for eliminating hematoma under fingernails

Bruises are the result of internal hemorrhage and penetration of surrounding tissue. When struck, small subcutaneous vessels rupture, which leads to local bleeding. Damage to blood vessels deep in the tissue is called a hematoma; it is accompanied by greater aching pain compared to a mild bruise and has a larger volume.

Causes of bruises under the nail plates

There are many known reasons why bruises appear under the nails. The main ones are listed below.

A hematoma can form on any part of the body that is exposed to an external blow. No one is immune from such a phenomenon as a bruise on the nail. It is possible to injure your nails by closing a door, hammering nails, dropping a tool on the floor, or moving furniture. You can get injured both at home and at the workplace when dealing with heavy objects, tools, and machines. A subungual hematoma causes severe physical pain, but at the same time spoils the appearance of the nails. When struck, not only can a hematoma form under the nail, but the nail plate itself can burst, causing the nail to become deformed.
Bruises under the nails sometimes also appear with a severe bruise, dislocation, fracture of the hand, or injury to the foot. In these cases, bruising may extend over a large radius, including the nails of the extremities.
The appearance of subungual hematomas is sometimes provoked by wearing tight and uncomfortable shoes.
The appearance of a bruise sometimes also indicates weak walls of blood vessels, which can rupture in any part of the body, forming painful hematomas, including under the nail.
The cause of hematomas under the nails is angiopathy, which appears in diabetes mellitus and leads to weakness of the vessel wall.
Bruises under the fingernails or toenails may also appear after taking medications that directly affect blood clotting.
Bruising under the nails is the result of professional artistic activity; ballerinas and dancers often encounter this phenomenon.

Most often the bruise occurs on the big toe. It also suffers when wearing tight shoes. A hematoma on the nail of the big toe causes discomfort when moving and does not allow you to put on shoes without pain.

What does a bruise under a nail look like?

At the moment of impact, blood leaking from damaged vessels collects under the nail. Since it cannot flow out due to the high density of the nail plate, it remains under it. The blood coagulates, changing its color over time until it completely resolves.

In the first minutes after a nail injury, it turns red, after a few hours it turns blue, and after the blood clots, it turns completely black.

The returning blood clot takes a very long time to dissolve, the old nail plate slides off and is replaced by a new one. Often, in order to remove it from under the nail plate, you need to wait until the damaged nail has grown completely, gradually trimming and cleaning it.

An accumulated blood clot under the nail plate is not a favorable environment, especially if the nail burst during the bruise. If no measures are taken, infections may develop under the plate, leading to tissue destruction and rotting.

The hands and feet, as well as nails, may become covered with black spots due to fungus or cutaneous melanoma. They are very similar to nail hematomas, but in comparison with them they do not disappear as the nails grow, but continue to destroy and deform it.

Methods for treating bruises under the nails

How to treat a hematoma on the big toe? If a limb is damaged and the radius of the bruise includes the nail plate, then the entire hematoma should be treated, not the nail individually.

Immediately after injury, cold is applied to the injury site through a towel or cloth. The duration of the procedure is about twenty minutes, after which a break is required. This procedure will reduce pain and the size of the hemorrhage. The doctor prescribes painkillers. Pain-relieving gels can be used locally; during the resorption stage, after a few days, heparin ointment can be used. In some cases, traditional methods can be used as a supplement to the main treatment after consulting a doctor.

Traditional methods of treatment

Treatment with traditional recipes allows you to speed up the process of bruise resorption at home. You can use the following methods:

the greatest effect in the treatment of subungual hematomas on the legs was noticed by traditional healers when using compresses with onion pulp;
plantain has a cooling effect; compresses with cut leaves of this plant can relieve swelling around the nail and reduce inflammation;
Fresh wormwood has an analgesic effect on subungual bruises; its juice, absorbed into the nail, penetrates deep into the tissue and inhibits the inflammatory process;
St. John's wort tincture (1 tbsp flowers + 1 tbsp boiled water) helps fight subungual bruises from the inside. It is taken three times a day until the pain subsides;
baths with sea salt and essential oils help relieve inflammation and growth of the nail plate, which allows you to speed up the process of cutting off a deformed nail with blood clotted underneath it;
lotions with a strong solution of potassium permanganate make it possible to relieve pain.

Drug therapy

If bruises form under your toenails, you can seek help from a medical facility. Doctor's help will be appropriate only until the blood under the nail has clotted.

A bruise that forms under the big toe nail is removed by opening the nail plate to extract uncongealed blood. To do this, perforate the nail using a medical drill or surgically remove the entire nail plate. A medical needle or wire heated over a burner flame is also suitable. The hot metal easily melts the tissue without causing pain, and the blood comes out from under the plate. A sterile bandage is applied to the site of the perforation; over time, the nail slips off. These procedures allow you to accelerate the growth of healthy, smooth nails. Additionally, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed as long as there is a need.

Preventing bruises under the nails

Preventive measures will help prevent the appearance of bruises on the nails, in particular the big toes. These include:

a balanced diet containing foods rich in vitamin C (it helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels);
wearing comfortable shoes of your size;
extreme caution when lifting heavy objects;
compliance with safety regulations in the workplace;
refusal to wear high-heeled shoes;
It is mandatory to visit a doctor if bruises appear in any part of the body, because this may be a symptom of a disease of the circulatory system.

Attentiveness in everyday life and a responsible attitude towards your well-being will protect you from such troubles as bruises under your nails.

Bruise under the nail or subungual hematoma

A subungual hematoma is a blood clot that has formed under the nail. Such damage can occur on both the fingers and toes. The formation of a hematoma is caused by mechanical trauma - impact, compression, etc.

Reasons for education

Subungual hematomas or bruises located under the nails are formed as a result of the accumulation of some amount of blood in the space under the nail plate.

Reasons for the formation of hematomas under the nails:

hit on the finger;
pinching a finger in a door and other squeezing effects;
subungual hematomas on the toes can be formed due to wearing tight shoes;
The formation of a bruise under the nails on the toe can be caused by playing football in unsuitable shoes or other injuries;
much less often, subungual hematomas are formed as a result of taking medications that affect blood clotting.

Clinical picture

When a finger is injured in the nail area, the patient feels pain and blood begins to accumulate in the subungual space. The pain is pulsating, “tugging”, and sometimes there is a feeling of fullness. Swelling may form on the injured finger.

The main symptoms of a subungual hematoma are a change in the color of the nail; it becomes red with a bluish tint, then gradually darkens, becoming purple-black.

If the formation of a subungual hematoma is associated with wearing tight shoes, then the pain is not so acute, but does not go away for a long time even after the shoes or shoes are removed. In this case, the nail has a bluish tint, which subsequently acquires a black tint.

First aid for a nail injury

If a finger is injured with damage to the nail, it is necessary to apply ice to the area of the bruise or pinching as quickly as possible. If ice is not available, any available cooling methods can be used. For example, use frozen food packages.

To reduce the likelihood of the inflammatory process spreading, you should take some kind of anti-inflammatory drug. For example, Ibuprofen.

If the nail plate is removed as a result of an injury, it is necessary to wash the affected area with antibacterial soap, apply an ointment that contains an antibiotic (Tetracycline, Erythromycin, Syntomycin, etc.) and apply a sterile bandage. With such an injury, the patient must consult a doctor.

To quickly resolve the hematoma, you can use ointments and gels - Troxevasin, Venitan, Venoruton, etc.

In what cases is medical help needed?

If the hematoma is small (no more than a quarter of the area of the nail plate) and there is no severe pain, you can get by with home treatment.

However, there are cases when you cannot do without medical help. You need to contact a medical facility if:

The hematoma is widespread and occupies more than a quarter of the area of the nail plate.
If the patient feels acute pain. Intense pain may be a sign of a finger fracture.
If the change in nail color occurred without injury.

Diagnosis methods

Diagnosis of a subungual hematoma is made on the basis of an external examination and anamnesis (presence of injury in the recent past).

An x-ray may be ordered to ensure there is no bone damage.

Treatment

To remove blood from the subungual space, drainage is performed. To do this, using a special sterile instrument, a puncture is made in the nail plate in the center of the blood clot.

A sterile bandage must be applied to the finger after removing the blood.

After removing the blood, a damp, sterile bandage is applied to the injured finger. This is necessary to cool the injured area and prevent the nail from healing too quickly. Typically, no other treatment is required after this procedure.

For severe injuries, complete removal of the nail and suturing may be indicated. In this case, you will need to consult a doctor. Suture material, as a rule, is self-disintegrating, which means no suture removal is required.

If nylon was used for suturing, then removal of the suture material is done superiorly.

Treatment with traditional methods

Treatment with traditional methods can be used only for small subungual hematomas and full confidence that there is no bone damage.

The best remedy for hematoma, including subungual hematoma, is cold. The sooner a cold object (ice) is applied to the site of the injury, the smaller the bruise will be.

To treat subungual hematoma, use a solution of potassium permanganate.

If the hematoma has already turned black and the pain has subsided, you can use a solution of potassium permanganate. To do this, prepare a strong (dark cherry-colored) solution of potassium permanganate and heat it. The solution should be hot, but not scalding. Dip your finger into the solution and leave for a minute. This bath helps soften the nail plate and remove dried blood.

To relieve the “twitching” pain, you can tie a leaf of white cabbage to the injured finger.

Prevention and prognosis

After draining the subungual hematoma, the pressure decreases and the pain subsides. Recovery occurs quite quickly. If the nail injury was serious, a complication may arise in the form of nail deformation and abnormal growth.

Prevention of the formation of subungual hematoma consists of following safety rules when performing various works. In addition, you need to be careful to avoid injuries at home.

When choosing shoes, you should give preference to comfortable models that will not put pressure on your fingers and nails.

How should a hematoma under a fingernail or toenail be treated?

Every person has injured their fingers or toes at least once in their life. Often with such an injury a bruise forms, causing a lot of suffering and inconvenience. Most often, such injuries appear on the lower extremities.

How is a hematoma under the nail treated? We will talk about this in detail in this article.

Causes

There are many reasons why hematomas occur directly under the nails. Most often this happens due to:

a strong blow (a person hits a piece of furniture or a doorway with his foot);
falling of a heavy object;
pinching;
wearing tight or simply uncomfortable shoes (the big toenail usually suffers).

The mechanism of hematoma formation here is the same as in all other cases - as a result of physical impact, damage to blood vessels occurs. They leak blood and bruise because the fluid has nowhere to go.

Symptoms

It is worth pointing out that the hematoma itself under no circumstances is the only consequence of tissue damage. As a rule, it is accompanied by swelling and redness of the injured finger.

The collected blood, having no outflow, coagulates and a hematoma is formed. Fresh is red. Then it acquires a crimson hue and gradually turns blue. During this period, the finger often goes numb. If the blow was very strong, then often the entire foot or hand loses sensitivity.

The injury - both in a child and an adult - is accompanied by severe pain of a pulsating nature. A bruised finger loses normal mobility. After a few days, the hematoma turns black. The color change is associated with the process of blood clotting and the oxidation of the iron contained in it.

How to help

In any serious case, the injured finger should be seen by a doctor. But first, it is worth providing first aid to the patient at home. Hematomas in children require the most attention, since their bones are not yet fully formed and they are more likely to fracture.

First of all, you need to apply a cold compress to your finger - the best solution is:

ice pack;
packaging of frozen vegetables or other products;

At worst, a cool compress will do.

You will also need to relieve pain. To do this, use any anti-inflammatory drugs available at home:

If we are talking about a child, make sure that the medicine can be given to him. Such information is provided in the instructions.

Nail peeling

The fact that the nail has separated indicates a violation of the blood supply. Here you should act promptly, since a focus of inflammation very quickly forms on the injured finger and suppuration often appears. It is advisable, as first aid, to treat the injury with an antiseptic drug, apply antibiotic ointment and bandage the finger.

A partially detached nail should not be cut or torn off - this often results in severe bleeding. In addition, the procedure itself is very painful. Place a cotton swab on it and cover it with an adhesive plaster, and then go to the emergency room - the doctors there will carry out all the manipulations if necessary.

Treatment

To remove blood, you need to pierce the nail. This procedure must be performed by a doctor. You can’t do this at home - you can get an infection. In addition, unprofessional actions can only make the patient’s condition worse.

If drainage is not done, a deformed nail will grow. This happens because the accumulated liquid lifts the damaged plate upward, and this prevents the normal growth of a new one.

After completing the procedure, apply a bandage using antiseptic solutions. This will protect the injured area from infection.

As practice shows, timely removal of accumulated blood significantly speeds up the treatment process. In addition, this method often prevents bruising.

In some cases, when the damage is quite extensive, the specialist decides to remove the nail completely.

It is advisable to do drainage only immediately after injury, that is, until the blood clots. Later it can only be removed along with the nail plate.

If the bruise is small, then it is not necessary to contact a specialist. You just need to make sure that the damaged tissues do not become infected. Nail restoration usually takes from 3 months to six months.

Among the folk remedies, onions ground into a paste, placed on gauze and attached to a finger, will help relieve swelling. Baths with the addition of sea salt and essential oils will also be useful.

Formation of hematomas as an alarming symptom

The biggest concern should be the appearance of a bruise without a clear reason, that is, not as a result of a bruise. In this situation, you must definitely visit a doctor and consult with him.

Often, bruises under the nails appear while taking prescribed anticoagulants (drugs that prevent blood from clotting). Bruises under the nails also indicate the presence of heart failure. This happens because the body experiences a lack of oxygen.

In addition, this symptom may indicate the appearance of:

In the latter case, the fingers usually begin to itch and become inflamed.

Prevention

increase the proportion of foods containing vitamin C in your diet - it strengthens blood vessels;
wear comfortable shoes of your size and without high heels;
do not overload your legs;
When doing physical labor, do not forget about safety precautions;
Make sure that children do not run around the apartment and walk carefully.

How to get rid of a hematoma under the nail

Every person has experienced trauma at least once in their life. But when an injury occurs, a person does not always go to the doctor, since some injuries are not so dangerous. For example, if a hematoma appears under the nail, many people believe that it can go away on its own and do not pay much attention to it. But is such an injury really safe? And how to relieve pain?

A hematoma under the nail is the formation of a blood clot that appears as a result of severe bruising of the nail plate.

The force of the blow will determine whether there is a possibility of rupture of the blood vessels under the nail. A hematoma is manifested by acute pain and blue discoloration of the damaged area. Sometimes the finger under the nail may turn black and become slightly swollen.

A hematoma under the toenail can most often form for the following reasons:

kicking while walking;
falling of various heavy objects onto the toes;
walking in tight, uncomfortable shoes.

Hematoma on the toenail

Most often, hematomas can appear when a person wears tight, uncomfortable shoes. It puts pressure on the foot and the pressure causes small hematomas to form, which cause discomfort and pain. Hematomas appear much more often on the hands. They usually form when a hand is bruised or a finger gets caught in a door. How quickly a bruise goes away depends on its size and the force of the blow. If the impact force was small, the bruise may disappear within 2-3 days.

If the bruise appears on its own and does not go away for a long time, then you should go to a specialist to identify the causes of the disease.

Why do bruises appear?

Before starting treatment for an injury, you need to make sure that the patient has a hematoma. After all, darkening under the nail can also form for other reasons:

Physiological effects. Typically, blue marks appear after a finger gets caught in a door or when it hits a heavy object. With a strong impact, blood vessels can burst, which leads to hemorrhage under the skin. As a result, a hematoma appears. If the blueness is very large, then you need to urgently go to the doctor.
Wearing uncomfortable shoes. If you wear uncomfortable shoes. It turns out that there is a lot of pressure on the foot and toes, which leads to severe blueness of the feet. Before purchasing new shoes, you need to make sure that they really suit you.
Medicines. Some drugs affect blood clotting. Therefore, minor bruises may appear.
Heart failure. Due to a lack of oxygen in the blood, the shade of the nail plate may change.
Onychomycosis. A fungal infection that causes peeling of the nail, severe pain, itching, and hardening.

If a severe hematoma appears, the doctor will prescribe a specific treatment. But you can identify the causes of injury and determine treatment yourself at home. A hematoma is a stoppage of blood in the vessels. It stagnates and clots form at the site of the injury. Since the nail plate is very strong, hemorrhage occurs under it. The blood does not flow out, but accumulates under the skin. Therefore, the hematoma may turn dark blue or black. The injury site may swell slightly. Most often, a hematoma under the thumbnail appears within a couple of hours. If the bruise appears due to a bruise or uncomfortable shoes, and it is not the cause of any illness. The hematoma will disappear within a week.

The speed of disappearance depends on how quickly the blueness under the nail goes away. After all, the blue discoloration may disappear on its own, but the blood clot itself may need to be removed from under the nail plate by a specialist.

Hematoma under the nail treatment

If the hematoma under the big toe nail is slightly swollen after the blow, place a cold object on the area where the pain is located. The cold will reduce the pain shock and prevent clots from forming. In addition, if the pain is very severe, then it is best to take a painkiller. It will help relieve discomfort and reduce pain.

If during an impact the nail plate cracks or breaks off, then the wound must be treated with an antiseptic. The wound can also be treated with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.

After the wound is treated, you need to determine the location of the pain. If it covers most of the nail, then it is best to go to the doctor. Since this may indicate a fracture or crack in the bone. Medical attention may be required.

If ordinary bruises appear, therapy is not needed. The blue marks will disappear after a week. To make the blueness go away faster you need to:

Remove the blood clot under the nail. Usually the localization site is pierced with a small (only disinfected) needle, and the blood comes out through the hole. After all the clot has come out, the wound is bandaged with a damp bandage. This treatment method is not recommended for use at home. It is best if the entire procedure is performed by a doctor. To avoid wound infection. In addition, the fastest way to get rid of a hematoma is surgery. The old plate is removed so that after the bruise disappears, a new one, even and strong, will grow.
After the pain becomes less noticeable and the bruise turns black, you can apply a manganese solution. The injured finger should be immersed in the manganese solution for a minute. This procedure will help soften the nail plate and dissolve thickened blood.
Take Routine. The drug helps strengthen blood vessels. In order for the medicine to be better absorbed, it is recommended to take it in combination with vitamin C. All medicines can be purchased at pharmacies without a prescription. Before taking the drug, you should consult your doctor to avoid deterioration in health.
Ketorolac, Analgin or Ibuprofen to relieve pain. Medicines will help eliminate pain from the first moment of injury. The medicine will help you wear shoes without pain and discomfort.
Hyparin ointment. The ointment has an antithrombotic effect. For the best effect, you need to apply it three times a day to the injured nail plate. The ointment is used until the nail becomes pale pink.
If a slight swelling is visible on the plate and sharp pain is felt on the phalanx of the finger, then a compress of dimexide and novocaine (1:3) can be applied to the lesion. Moisten gauze generously with the solution and apply to the affected area for a minute. In order for the compress to stick, it must be secured with a bandage.

Indovazin gel relieves pain and treats hematoma

What to do if treatment does not work? If there is a large hematoma, it remains under the nail after a week. And after the clots are removed, the bruise remains the same. Then you need to go to the hospital urgently. The doctor will determine the cause of the lesion and prescribe treatment if necessary. Perhaps it is not the hematoma itself that should be treated, but the problems in the body that caused such actions. Sometimes the appearance of blueness is the consequence of serious illnesses.

Conclusion

Thus, a hematoma under the nail can form for various reasons. Most often this is due to a bruise or a strong blow from a heavy object. But sometimes there may be other reasons that can only be identified by a specialist. Regular bruises do not require treatment and disappear on their own within a few days. Large hematomas take a little longer to heal. If the bruise was severe, then you may need certain therapy, which is prescribed only by a doctor.

How to forget about joint pain...

Joint pain limits your movements and full life...
You are worried about discomfort, crunching and systematic pain...
You may have tried a bunch of medications, creams and ointments...
But judging by the fact that you are reading these lines, they did not help you much...

A bruise under a nail on a toe or hand is not attractive to anyone. Unfortunately, this phenomenon occurs quite often and many people experience it. Most often, a bruise is formed as a result of a blow and is a hematoma, which in the coming days will remind itself of a blackened or blue nail plate as a result of hemorrhage. There are many reasons that can cause a bruise on the nail. After all, not only mechanical trauma can cause this unsightly and uncomfortable formation.

Common Causes

The following causes of bruising are usually noted:

Mechanical injury.
Uncomfortable or traumatic shoes, playing sports.
Fungus.
Taking medications aimed at changing blood composition.
Cardiovascular failure and other heart problems.
Serious diseases: cancer, diabetes and others.

More than half of the reasons on this list do not have serious consequences, but they occur so often that it is worth distinguishing them from each other. There are other symptoms besides painful nails and changes in color.

In addition to the acute pain that arose at the time of injury, a hematoma also begins to form under the nail of the big toe if the blow falls on this particular area. In almost one hundred percent of cases, after such an injury, consequences remain. Initially, swelling of the entire finger or at least around the nail plate appears, and the hematoma itself becomes visible within a couple of hours. During this time, the blood in the burst vessels has time to collect under the nail. At first it has its own color, but gradually acquires a blue tint, and then turns black.

On average, such a bruise goes away in a couple of weeks. The main thing here is not to confuse a bruise and hematoma with a fracture of a finger in this phalanx. A fracture will be accompanied by more acute pain and immobility of the injury site.

Signs of fungus

Other types of hematoma under the nail have no connection with bruise or mechanical damage. Therefore, if a patient discovers a hematoma on his nail, but knows for sure that he did not hit himself, he can safely discard the previous options.

If bruises have formed under the nail of the big toe and they cause great discomfort, but not pain, it is worth taking a closer look at them. Perhaps it's a fungus. The following symptoms can be found as accompanying symptoms:

constant itching in the nail area;
peeling of the skin or the appearance of an unpleasant odor;
the appearance of cracks between the fingers, which can bleed and hurt;
brittleness, lamination or brittleness of the nail plate;
the nail may turn blue or yellow.

What to do if any accompanying symptom appears? It is worth consulting a doctor to confirm the diagnosis of the fungus and begin appropriate treatment before it appears on all fingers and develops its activity further.

Fungus is not a harmless disease that can be ignored, and it also causes a lot of problems for its owner.

Medicines and body features

There are a number of diseases for the treatment of which vasoconstrictor drugs or those that affect blood clotting are prescribed. In rare cases, such drugs can cause bruising under the nail plates as a side effect. In this case, it is better to consult with your doctor and do not hide the causes of concern from him. Most likely, he will stop the drug or adjust its dosage. Stopping prescribed blood-related medications on your own can be very dangerous.

With an established disease of the cardiovascular system, hematomas may appear under the nails and not only, because the body becomes weak. These diseases are dangerous because blood is difficult to circulate throughout the body, and organs do not receive enough oxygen and other useful substances. Arteries and veins can work too hard and wear out several times faster.

As a result of such violations, injuries and bruises may appear throughout the body, including under the nails. There is a danger of disruption to the functioning of any organ. It is worth noting that in such cases, usually many of the patient’s nails turn black, and not just one specific one.

Subungual melanoma

One of the varieties of ordinary melanoma is its subungual appearance. A characteristic sign of the neoplasm in question is darkening of the skin around the nail bed. Later, a tumor appears, which destroys the nail. As the disease develops, not only swelling and bruising appear, but also sanguineous fluid and pus. This process will cause too noticeable discomfort and pain, so it is better to consult a doctor immediately.

At the initial stage, it is quite difficult to diagnose melanoma, because it is very similar to a regular bruise. But, if a person is absolutely sure that he did not hit himself anywhere, then he should consult a doctor immediately.

To determine melanoma, you need to do a biopsy, which can accurately confirm the diagnosis and set a time frame for removal of the lesion.

Diabetes

In addition to melanoma, this type of nails is often found in diabetes mellitus. In addition to the fact that this disease makes it quite difficult to treat any other diseases, in this case, even a simple blow to a piece of furniture can result in the removal of a nail or leave a limb without an entire finger.

The tragedy of the situation is that with diabetes a person loses sensitivity in the feet and hands. Not completely, but enough that a person could harm himself without noticing it. Problems such as bruises under the nails or foot ulcers are common occurrences for them, which simply no one pays much attention to.

People with diabetes may well wear tight shoes, even a couple of sizes too small. And at the same time not feel any discomfort or pain. Therefore, it is imperative for such people to monitor the condition of their feet and nails themselves.

Uncomfortable shoes

Playing sports in uncomfortable shoes can also cause a bruise or hematoma under the big toe nail. If the purchased new shoes constantly press in the area of the big toe on the foot, causing terrible discomfort and pain, then in this case a bruise under the nail may also form. In addition to its formation, when you try to put tight shoes on your feet, you will constantly experience unpleasant pain. As soon as the finger begins to come into contact with uncomfortable shoes, this will provoke an increase in the hematoma and painful sensations in the body.

Bruises often appear in those who are actively involved in sports and are forced to wear a certain type of shoes: speed skaters, skiers, ballerinas, football players. Their type of activity is often associated with the appearance of not only bruises under the nail plates, but also bruises along the length of the entire leg. This happens due to the special structure of the shoes, which allows you to achieve the desired results. But, unfortunately, it is traumatic for the owner of the shoes and causes, at a minimum, bruises on the nails of the big toes.

Each of these reasons requires special attention and proper treatment, without which consequences may arise: from an excessively long healing of a hematoma to amputation of a limb. You should not ignore the changes that appear in the body. Especially if a person has diabetes or the hematoma appeared without traumatic factors.

A hematoma under the nail (subungual hematoma, subungual hematoma) is an accumulation of blood in the space between the nail bed and the nail plate.

A hematoma under the nail is the result of direct trauma to the nail. The pressure created by this blood under the nail causes severe pain.

Causes

Blood under the nail most often appears after a mechanical injury to the fingers or toes.
This type of injury includes numerous scenarios:

Hitting the finger with a blunt object (hammer);
A heavy object falling on your feet or hands;
Finger getting caught in a door and other types of domestic injuries;
Wearing inappropriate tight shoes;
Taking medications that affect blood clotting.

Symptoms and signs of subungual hematoma

Blood under the nail is the main sign of a hematoma.

After an injury, the natural color underneath the nail changes to red, maroon or another dark color.

The most common symptom of a hematoma under the nail is pain.

The pressure created between the nail plate and the nail bed, where blood collects, causes quite severe pain.

The pain that accompanies a subungual hematoma can also be caused by other injuries, such as a bruise, sprain, limb fracture, traumatic skin wound, and nail damage.

Do I need to see a doctor?

When to seek medical help for a subungial hematoma:

If the pain is mild and the hematoma (collection of blood) occupies less than 25% of the area under the nail, then home care may be considered.
If the hematoma under the nail covers 50% or more of the nail area, then medical attention is required.

If the injury that is causing blood under the nail is severe enough to cause severe pain and swelling, you should see a doctor. Mechanical injuries can lead to broken finger bones or damage to the nail bed under the nail, requiring additional medical attention.

Diagnosis of subungial hematoma

X-ray

X-ray radiation is a simple and effective method for detecting finger bone fractures. However, x-rays do not provide any information about bleeding or hematoma formation under the nail.

Physical diagnosis

Depending on the type and extent of the injury and the amount of blood under the nail, your doctor may decide to remove the nail to check for possible damage to the nail bed. But usually, if the nail is not damaged and there are no lacerations, it is not removed.

How to remove a hematoma under a nail at home

Ice, elevation (keeping the arm or leg above the level of the heart), and pain medications are a simple list of recommendations for how to treat small hematomas under the finger at home.

Wrap the ice in a towel (do not apply the ice directly to the skin). A bag of frozen vegetables (corn or peas) wrapped in a towel works as an effective ice pack.
If the hematoma under the finger is large and occupies more than 50% of the area, the help of a health care professional is needed.

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If part of the nail is lost as a result of an injury, home care is recommended until the nail bed becomes less painful and tender, usually within seven to ten days.
Twice a day, soak in antibacterial soap and water for 10-15 minutes
After the procedure, apply a dry, sterile dressing.

Treatment of hematoma under the finger

Several methods are used to remove blood from under the nail. Options include removing part of the nail or trephination of the nail to drain (drain) accumulated blood. For this purpose, the nail plate is perforated with a hot metal wire, or by screwing in a hollow needle, or the electrocautery method is used (not in the case of acrylic nails due to the risk of fire). All these methods allow the blood under the nail to drain out, which in turn reduces pain. Drainage does not occur immediately and in extreme cases can last up to a day and a half.

Don't be alarmed if a healthcare professional decides to use a simple paper clip to remove blood from under the nail: this technique, although older, is still used by some practitioners. The paperclip is straightened to release the pointed end, which glows under the fire. Then a quick perforation of the nail plate is performed .

After removing the hematoma under the nail, a damp sterile bandage is applied. Usually this is the entire procedure for treating a hematoma under the nail. In rare cases, the doctor decides to completely remove the nail and apply stitches.

Neither technique is preferred.

When exactly the blood drains from under the finger and the hematoma goes away depends on the doctor’s experience and the procedure.

Subsequent treatment

Once a subungual hematoma has resolved, follow-up is usually not required.
Antibiotics are usually not needed after blood has been removed from under the nail.
If a nail has been removed and the cut in your nail bed has been stitched, you should see a doctor within 48 to 72 hours to be re-evaluated.
Self-dissolving sutures are typically used, so suture removal is not necessary.
If the sutures are insoluble (nylon), they must be removed after about seven days.

How to avoid subungual hematoma?

Use common sense and practice various safety precautions - do not get your fingers caught in doors or have heavy objects fall on your feet.

Professional footwear is an important element of safety precautions. For example, in certain high-risk jobs such as construction. Or playing certain sports - you should not play football in rag sneakers.

Watch your children's hands when opening and closing car doors.

Avoid Distractions - Finger injuries often occur when the person using the tool is distracted.

Don't lift anything you can't lift alone. Find people to help you carry heavy objects so you don't drop them on your toes.

Forecast

Once the large hematoma under the nail drains, the pressure under the nail will decrease and the pain will be significantly reduced.

The hole created by the perforation will remain and heal at the rate at which a nail normally grows.

One possible risk and long-term complication of a subungual hematoma is loosening of the nails.

If the injury is severe and involves soft tissue disruption, healing may be difficult. This complication can lead to nail deformation or abnormal nail growth.

The deformity can be temporary and will go away after the nail grows, or, despite all the efforts of doctors and proper home care, it can be permanent, and a clearly deformed nail will remain that way forever.

Subungual hematoma - This is a blood clot that has formed under the nail. Such damage can occur on both the fingers and toes. The formation of a hematoma is caused by mechanical trauma - impact, compression, etc.

Reasons for education

A blow to the finger is one of the reasons for the formation of a hemotoma.

Subungual hematomas or bruises located under the nails are formed as a result of the accumulation of some amount of blood in the space under the nail plate.

Reasons for the formation of hematomas under the nails:

hit on the finger;
pinching a finger in a door and other squeezing effects;
subungual hematomas on the toes can be formed due to wearing tight shoes;
The formation of a bruise under the nails on the toe can be caused by playing football in unsuitable shoes or other injuries;
much less often, subungual hematomas are formed as a result of taking medications that affect blood clotting.

Clinical picture

The main symptoms of a subungual hematoma are a change in the color of the nail; it becomes red with a bluish tint, then gradually darkens, becoming purple-black.

You should know that blackening or other discoloration of the nail is not always evidence of the formation of a subungual hematoma. For example, bluish-black spots can be a symptom of the development of melanoma or malignant degeneration of nevi (moles).

First aid for a nail injury

If you injure your finger, the first thing you need to do is apply ice.

To reduce the likelihood of the inflammatory process spreading, you should take some kind of anti-inflammatory drug. For example, Ibuprofen.

If the nail plate is removed as a result of an injury, it is necessary to wash the affected area with antibacterial soap, apply an ointment that contains an antibiotic (Tetracycline, Erythromycin, Synthomycin, etc.) and apply a sterile bandage. With such an injury, the patient must consult a doctor.

To quickly resolve the hematoma, you can use ointments and gels - Troxevasin, Venitan, Venoruton, etc.

In what cases is medical help needed?

If the hematoma is small (no more than a quarter of the area of the nail plate) and there is no severe pain, you can get by with home treatment.

However, there are cases when you cannot do without medical help. You need to contact a medical facility if:

The hematoma is widespread and occupies more than a quarter of the area of the nail plate.
If the patient feels acute pain. Intense pain may be a sign of a finger fracture.
If the change in nail color occurred without injury.

Diagnosis methods

Diagnosis of a subungual hematoma is made on the basis of an external examination and anamnesis (presence of injury in the recent past).

An x-ray may be ordered to ensure there is no bone damage.

Treatment

Important! The choice of treatment regimen and technique is made by the doctor.

To remove blood from the subungual space, drainage is performed. To do this, using a special sterile instrument, a puncture is made in the nail plate in the center of the blood clot.

A sterile bandage must be applied to the finger after removing the blood.

For severe injuries, complete removal of the nail and suturing may be indicated. In this case, another 1-2 consultations with a doctor will be required. Suture material, as a rule, is self-disintegrating, which means no suture removal is required.

If nylon was used for suturing, then removal of the suture material is carried out for 5 - 7 days.

Treatment with traditional methods

Treatment with traditional methods can be used only for small subungual hematomas and full confidence that there is no bone damage.

The best remedy for hematoma, including subungual hematoma, is cold. The sooner a cold object (ice) is applied to the site of the injury, the smaller the bruise will be.

To treat subungual hematoma, use a solution of potassium permanganate.

If the hematoma has already turned black and the pain has subsided, you can use a solution of potassium permanganate. To do this, prepare a strong (dark cherry-colored) solution of potassium permanganate and heat it. The solution should be hot, but not scalding. Dip your finger into the solution and leave for 15 - 20 minutes. This bath helps soften the nail plate and remove dried blood.

To relieve the “twitching” pain, you can tie a leaf of white cabbage to the injured finger.

Prevention and prognosis

Prevention of the formation of subungual hematoma consists of following safety rules when performing various works. In addition, you need to be careful to avoid injuries at home.

When choosing shoes, you should give preference to comfortable models that will not put pressure on your fingers and nails.

Hello, Vera! To understand how to get rid of bruises under your nails, you should first understand why and for what reasons these bruises appear there.

Subungual hematomas, or bruises under the nails, occur as a result of the accumulation of blood when the nail plate is damaged. The most common cause of such hematomas is pinching of fingers in doors. They are usually very painful.

The cause of a bruise under the nail plate can be not only an injury such as being caught in a door, but also simply a blow. And if bruises appear under the toenails, the cause may be wearing tight dress shoes. Since it creates constant pressure on the nail plate.

Sometimes it happens that your fingers are simply stepped on somewhere on public transport, and this causes bruises.

With such mechanical damage to the nails, it is better not to try to remove the bruise yourself, but simply wait until the nail grows a little and you can cut off the damaged part. By the way, regular pressure from shoes on the nails can also cause not only bruises, but also detachments on the nail plate, or its rejection from the pad, that is, onycholysis. In such cases, I would advise you first of all to give up shoes that create pressure on your nails and discomfort when walking. And, secondly, contact a pedicure specialist in a beauty salon. So that he removes all detachments from the nail plate and seals them. Also pay more attention to home nail care: use specialized strengthening coatings, and regularly soak your feet in baths with sea salt. This helps strengthen nails.

Subungual hematomas (subungual hemorrhages), in which mechanical damage is excluded, can appear under the influence of drugs - due to prolonged combined use of medications. Therefore, it is worthwhile to reconsider, if possible, taking these medications, or approach the treatment of the underlying disease more delicately and carefully. Maybe replace some medications with others, or even give them up altogether.

Abnormal nail color can also be mistaken for bruises. For example, blue-black nail color may indicate melanoma and nevi (growths on birthmarks). In this case, it is better to consult a doctor.

If the bruises are of mechanical origin, you can try to get rid of them faster with the help of pharmaceutical venotonic creams/gels, such as: Troxevasin, Venoruton, Venitan, etc.