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So, a friend's horse stepped on my toe back in July. I kinda hurt and my toe bruised and bled a little, but I did not actually lose the toenail (it is my big toe). My friend was surprised that it didn't fall off, but I was glad I still had my toenail. Well, here we are almost 5 months later and I think I might actually lose my toenail now. It is still all bloody looking on the one side and it isn't fully connected (just on the one side though). If I wanted to get it off right now, I wouldn't be able to because the toenail is fine on the other side.
What is the best suggestion for a situation like this? Am I going to have to get it cut off by a doctor or should I just let it fall off on its own? It isn't painful, but it bothers me now that I know the one side is a little lose.
What should I do? Posts: 306 | Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
Go to a doctor...blood clots can form and cause major probelms with injuries like that, so have a doc cut it off right away. Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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If it isn't bothering you, why bother it? It should grow out on its own. Toenails just grow very slowly.
You can use paper tape from the pharmacy if you are doing something that makes you worry about the looseness of the nail.
Posts: 1014 | Registered: Jul 2005
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I had that with a thumbnail last year. I just kept the nail really short so it couldn't catch on anything and washed it really thoroughly whenever I took a shower. Sometimes dried blood would wash out form under the old nail, eww. I say leave it alone. It's doing what it's supposed to do.
Posts: 471 | Registered: Jul 2005
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I didn't read it well enough and missed the time frame...I thought it had just happened.
I know in the Army they take foot care seriously, and you would have been told right away to go to a doc...but since it has been so long I doubt you are in danger.
Or in other words...what Theca said. Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I've got a similar toe to RR. I tripped and ended up with a bended big toe beneath my foot as I slid into furniture. It happened about, what, a month and a half or two months ago. It must have been damaged all the way to the beginning of the nail bed - even though the black bit of the nail is moving up (about halfway up my toe now), there was discolored flesh-toned obviously not normal stuff right after that, and it's only now that normal stuff is beginning to show on that side of the nail. (Don't'cha just love my descriptions?) The nail is loose on that half of the toe, so I just be careful about leaving it alone.
We also don't wear actual shoes here - just sandals - so no socks or inside tops of shoes for it to get caught on or that sort of thing. I dunno.
posted
I know that when I injured my toe (I forget how), it took months for it to grow back to a normal-ish toenail. Another thing to look out for is properly fitting shoes, so that your toe isn't smacking up against the front constantly and getting squished.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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A friend suggested to get some Epsom Salt and soak my foot in a bath of the salt to dry it out. Do you think this would be a good idea?
Posts: 306 | Registered: Jun 2003
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I know when I had ingrown toenails the doc told me to soak it in epsom salt and warm/hot water for 15 minutes twice a day.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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Epsom salts are a good idea for ingrown toenails but it sounds to me like part of the nail has separated from the nail bed on one side, and the other side is normal. Is that correct?
I think your best bet is to tape it so it doesn't get torn accidentally and be patient. It will eventually grow back out but expect it to take a long time. If it does begin to bother you though - see a podiatrist or your regular doctor.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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