How to Treat a Bruised Toenail
Bruised toenails can cause lots of pain if proper care is not taken. Fortunately, dealing with a bruised toenail is not very difficult as you would need to keep in mind only a few basic things. As a matter of fact, you don't need to visit a podiatrist, unless the bruise is really bad.
Things Required:
– Sterile Needle
– Salt
– Water
– Sterile Dressing
– Band-aid
– Nail clipper
Instructions
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1
Take a sterile needle and use it to drain fluid from the affected toenail. As soon as the fluid is drained, you would get immediate relief from pain and swelling.
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2
Mix salt in a half filled bucket of water and immerse your feet inside. The salt water will have a soothing effect on the bruised toenail. Take your feet out when you are feeling better and cover the bruised toenail with a sterile dressing. This will effectively prevent bacteria in the air from starting an infection and creating more pain causing fluid beneath the nail.
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3
Never wear socks while the nail is healing. If it is absolutely necessary for some reason, be sure to cover the nail with a band-aid and then wear the socks.
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4
Loose toenails should be left alone and no attempts should be made to remove them with force. However, you can use a nail clipper to cut the loose nail. An extremely loose nail might cause discomfort. If that is the case, have the loose nail removed by a podiatrist.
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5
Keep in mind that it may take anywhere from 6 to 12 months for the bruised nail to grow clear. There is absolutely no need to worry if the healing process is on the slower side, as long as the bruised nail is not causing you any discomfort.
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6
Immediately visit a podiatrist if the bruised nail starts to cause pain or shows signs of redness or swelling.
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7
To prevent useless pressure on your toenails while you are wearing a pair of shoes, it is important to ensure that the shoes are neither too short nor too narrow. It would be best to wear shoes that have a lace or strap. That being said, not wearing shoes at all for the first few days after the injury would perhaps be the best choice.
