Anyone Have a Toe Injury Like This Before?

[Proudiddy]

Feet and toes are ugly as it is, so I will do everyone a favor and put the pics in spoiler tags, but just wondering if any of you have dealt with anything similar.

 

I've had some bruising/blood under the nail for like the last 3 months or so - since I started playing basketball regularly again.  It initially happened after playing and having my big toe slide forward and basically slam into the front of my shoe aka the toe box. 

 

I had some bruising from that and probably a little soreness initially, but I usually take a day off after playing if I'm hurting bad enough and then get back into doing Insanity once I feel a little better.  I only go to the gym for pick-up once a week, which is the only time the toe becomes an issue.

 

So, after having the bruise under my nail for the last few months and my wife finally seeing it and saying, "Yuck!  What is that?  You need to go to the doctor!"  I go to the gym last night, and my toe slid and hit the front of my shoe again.  Hurt as usual...  Just figured I stubbed it and the bruise would spread again.

 

Instead, I get home and find that where it had previously been black over 3/4 of my toe nail, it was now only like 1/2 and apparently, the black part was still liquid under my nail, as I pulled my sock off at home and find I'm bleeding out from under my toe nail.  Also, where it was previously black with bruising, a lot of it turned red and the black area dispersed and became less opaque in some areas...  But, now my whole nail is a spectrum of colors.

 

TL;DR, F your novel-like descriptions of everything PDiddy version:

I apparently have some bruising under my toe nail.  It was black, and I assumed dried underneath my toe nail.  I stubbed it again inside of my shoe while playing ball, and the black area broke up, turned red, and I was bleeding from underneath my toe nail when I got home with some dark bruising still present.  Although I have some throbbing pain and irritation, I don't suspect it's broken.

 

 

Does it need to be drained?  I've just left it alone because I think doctors are useless for the most part, and I figured and it would heal up on its own eventually, but it's been jacked up for months now, and everytime I stub it while playing, it just starts the process all over.

 

[TheRed]

You've gotta go see a doctor bruh.

[Sapper]

I'd get it drained in case of infection, mainly because it's been 3 months.

[Anybodyhome]

I suffered with this problem for years while playing ball. Quite honestly, the pros even have issues with this. Most players are now wearing a couple pair of socks and tape their feet just to minimize the amount of foot movement inside the shoe. Sure, it means maybe having to buy a shoe that's a half size bigger, but surrounding your feet and toes with protection and restricting their movement is the key.

 

I'm much older now and haven't played ball in 20 years, but the wear and tear of the court (back in the day when shoes were nowhere close to the quality they have now) is still evident. Hell, I'm from the John Havlicek, Bill Russell, Wilt and Jerry West era when we all wore Chuck Taylors!

 

You must take care of your feet or risk the pain I feel at 57 years old that began at 42...

[Proudiddy]

Thanks guys... I actually finally found specific infirmation on it after I posted this. I googled different terms and it is actually called "black toe," or "runner's toe." Apparently it happens to 1 out of 100 athletes, so its pretty common.

Now what sucks... most people just wait it out, as I have, but after damaging it to this degree, you actually start growing a new nail underneath the busted/bruised one. So, eventually this jacked up nail grows out and falls off on its own, then another nail comes in underneath it and takes about 6 months to fully grow in. Mmm, yummy.

[Anybodyhome]

Do they tell you that this goes on for the rest of your life? My right big toe, which endured my roundball abuse for decades, still has a nail that is at least twice as thick as any of my others. It's in-grown a couple times, had surgery once and, until a couple years ago, I was very self-conscious about wearing sandals or anything where people could see my toe. 

[Big A]

Thanks guys... I actually finally found specific infirmation on it after I posted this. I googled different terms and it is actually called "black toe," or "runner's toe." Apparently it happens to 1 out of 100 athletes, so its pretty common.

Now what sucks... most people just wait it out, as I have, but after damaging it to this degree, you actually start growing a new nail underneath the busted/bruised one. So, eventually this jacked up nail grows out and falls off on its own, then another nail comes in underneath it and takes about 6 months to fully grow in. Mmm, yummy.

Something that can instantly help is soaking twice a day in warm water and Epsom Salt. It's basically a hematoma under nail, subungual hematoma I think, and the basic laws of concentrations (water moves toward high comcerrations from low, will help the Epsom salt solution deal with any swelling and should help also dissolve some of blood and maybe clear up your nail of so,e of the dried blood. Firther, the solution will help prevent infection.

[Darth Biscuit]

I did this in February... Toenail came off in April and is slowly coming back... Third time I've done it over the years...

[frash.exe]

Get it looked at dude

[KSpan]

Get it looked at dude

 

We're all looking at it aren't we? 

[carolina-chuck]

You're having GOUT !!!!!!! Lol jk

[SCMunnerlyn1]

Just happened to me at work. Was diagnosed hairline fracture and i lost my whole toenail a few days later. They'll give you poo for pain and inflamation.