GeneralWhy Do My Nails Hurt?

Doctorsklineandgreen.com offers nail repair products designed to improve your nail health. Founded by experts in dermatology, nail conditions and care, these doctors understand your pain, particularly when your toe nails show signs of damage and hurt. Below, we explore some of the top reasons why your nails hurt and look unhealthy, according to the leading experts.

Seek Treatment When Your Nails Hurt

Nail treatment is something you should consider earlier, rather than later after seeing signs of a nail problem. Too many people ignore the signs until nails hurt and cause daily discomfort. By visiting an experienced nail health doctor and using appropriate treatments, you can return your nails to their healthier, more attractive state. Proper treatment also quickly and easily resolves nail pain while you work on resolving the underlying causes.

Painful Ingrown Toenails

Toenail pain is often the result of ingrown nails. You can contribute to this problem through poor nail trimming technique. Or, your nail pain is possibly a genetic issue. Natural processes of aging also contribute to painful ingrowth of nails, along with repetitive toe injuries, athletic bruising and nail fungus.

When considering why your nails hurt, ask yourself some of these questions:

• Have you repeatedly injured your toe by dropping heavy objects onto it or frequently stubbing it?
• Do you wear poorly fitted shoes that crowd your toes?
• Do you have signs of nail fungus?
• Are you an athlete who frequently bruises your toe?

All of these types of injuries can permanently change the nail matrix. This leads to abnormal growth into your toe’s soft tissues, causing pain.

Another issue leading to toe pain is trimming the nail in a way that leaves a nail spike pushing into the skin. Although your skin adjacent to each nail can handle normal nail growth, bacterial infections can cause inflammation and swelling. Such infection can occur when bacteria gets trapped between the nail and skin. It also occurs after minor injuries, such as when you cause accidental nicks in your skin when trimming your toenails.

Ingrown nails cause inflammation and pain, whatever their cause. Left untreated, your infection can spread to your underlying toe bone. You can temporarily relieve pain and swelling by soaking your toes in warm, soapy water. Also apply some antibiotic ointment to avoid or control infection. Never attempt to remove the nail or its offending parts on your own if you have ongoing discomfort and a possible infection. This can make your condition and related pain worse.

It is important to visit your dermatologist to find the specific cause and nature of your ingrown toenail or other nail infection. This doctor will provide treatment, such as antibiotic medication and removal of the pain-inducing nail border. After your treatment, you can expect a quick recovery made easier through proper at-home care. Once your toenails feel better, you can return to an active lifestyle.

Discomfort of Nail Fungus

Nail fungus infection can cause nail pain, too. As a result of the fungus growth, your nails thicken. They also loosen, crumble and become discolored. The thickened nail is sensitive to touch and becomes more uncomfortable during activities for which you wear shoes. Your nail fungus is actually a tiny organism that also causes athlete’s foot. It probably started on your skin and spread beneath your toenails, where it caused an infection.

Toenail fungus treatment sometimes requires prescription medication to fully eliminate the problem in hard-to-reach areas beneath your nail. You can also try over-the-counter topical medications. Smoothing out the nails can relieve some of the shoe pressure that causes increased discomfort. Removal of the nails by a dermatologist can also reduce pain of particularly damaged nails. It is important that you visit your doctor for the right diagnosis and nail treatment because not all thickened toenails are related to fungus.

Other Causes of Nails that Hurt

Other possible causes of thickened toenails or nails that hurt include:

• Long-term shoe pressure
• Injury from sports or activities
• Bruising and loosening of the nail from routine running, walking or treadmill use
• Wearing shoes that are too tight
• Stubbing your toes or dropping objects on them
• Bone fracture under the nail
• Psoriasis
• Melanoma around the nail

As you can see, there are a wide variety of causes of nail discomfort. Visit your dermatologist today for an examination and diagnosis. Through proper nail treatment, you can regain attractive and pain-free nails you can show off.

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