Bruise under big toe nail...

[kerry88]

I have a bruise under my left big toe nail, it covers almost all of the the toe nail area. It doesn't hurt like a bruise normally does if i put pressure on it and it never has. I don't know exactly how long it has been there as I had painted my toenails and due to my back problem it was easier just to top up the varnish than to remove it, so I first noticed it approx. 9 weeks ago. It has never hurt, I have no idea how it happened! I don;t remember banging it or anything. It doesn;t seem to fade, or grow out with the nail, so now I am unsure what it could be! I am terrified of the prospect of my nail falling off or something as I have a real phobia of nails (strange I know!!). I don;t want to bother my doctors with it as I am already seeing them for a number of things related to my back and an operation, and I always feel like a hypochondriac (sp?) when I see them as I put off seeing them so then have a list of things to sort!

I was hoping someone could just reassure me that this is normal and that it will go in time really!

[SassyLassie]

Try not to worry, just because it may be a mole does not mean it is cancerous. Has anyone mentioned a fungus? Sometimes they can cause odd nail problems.

[kerry88]

The doctor didn't mention fungus. How can you tell if it is that? I always thought a fungus would smell bad wouldn't it? The nail isn't raised, hasn't been damaged and doesn't smell. I don't know exactly when it appeared because I only noticed it when I removed my nail varnish, which wasn't chipped or damaged as I guess it would have been if it had been knocked.

I am hoping I am just paranoid now....sometimes checking symptoms online isn't the best idea seens it will always give the worst case scenarios! It is just difficult to not worry now! Hopefully the hospital will be quick in arranging an appointment!!

[remar]

A nail fungus does'nt have to smell. I'm glad to hear you have an appointment with a Dermatologist. Hopefully they can get to the root of the problem.   Remar

[kerry88]

I had my appointment with the dermatologist today....they didn't seem too concerned, apparently the nail has raised slightly. they took photos of it and i have to go back in 3 months to monitor it.....they then asked an awful lot of questions about getting suntans, and any family history of skin cancer which was rather unnerving but I guess they ask everyone that so they know who is more at risk! No real answer as to what it is though which is frustrating! x

[remar]

This must be very frustrating not getting any answers. So they did'nt do anything like take a culture to see if it's a fungal infection? Maybe you should see a different Dermatologist.  Remar

[kerry88]

It is frustrating, the dermatologist said it looked like it was 'mostly blood'....but I wouldn't have thought blood would lift the nail, be completely painless and not grow out! It is a bit difficult to get a second opinion here, as it was at the hospital. So unless I went privately then I wouldn't really get any further. They didn't take any samples at all, just the pictures to see how it develops in 3 months. I will keep an eye on it myself and if anything changes before then I will go straight back to the doctor. I was only really scared of it being a mole and having a risk of cancer, anything else I don't have any urgency about as I am terrified of them doing anything to my nail! (I really hate nails, hate ppl biting their own, cutting them, touching them....i get goosebumps!! it is a very odd phobia!) x

[DebC09]

I had blood under my big toe nail.  I noticed it after a shopping weekend.  I didn't hit it on anything but my shoe may have been just s tad bit too small and with my tie being up against the end of the shoe this likely caused the bleeding.   It's never grown out and there's no pain associated with it.  However the nail has lifted.  So I used some cuticle scissors to trim it back and sure enough there was dry blood under the nail.  I guess the dry blood caused the nail to lift.  Anyways, the nail is growing back just fine.   I hope that helps.

[DebC09]

I had blood under my big toe nail.  I noticed it after a shopping weekend.  I didn't hit it on anything but my shoe may have been just s tad bit too small and with my tie being up against the end of the shoe this likely caused the bleeding.   It's never grown out and there's no pain associated with it.  However the nail has lifted.  So I used some cuticle scissors to trim it back and sure enough there was dry blood under the nail.  I guess the dry blood caused the nail to lift.  Anyways, the nail is growing back just fine.   I hope that helps.