There is an opinion among doctors and scientists that the toenail or arm nail is a kind of indicator of pathological processes hidden inside the body. That is, it is a visible symptom of diseases, for example, lungs, bronchi, heart, liver or kidneys. It can also be a signal of a metabolic failure or a consequence of neurology. Thus, a brown spot on the nail of the big toe is a signal that you need to see a doctor. And even if the cause of this phenomenon is a banal injury from a bruise or falling on the toe of something heavy, this is still an occasion to see a doctor and study this topic in more detail.
External causes of spots
A brown spot on the nail of the big toe may occur due to any external influences.
Injury
If it is an injury, then the spot on the first day will be red. This is due to the fact that the capillaries under the nail plate burst and blood gets directly under the plate. If a person forgot about the incident when he was injured or just didn’t feel it (this also happens), then with time he will have questions: “What is the brown spot on the toe of the big toe? What could be the reason?”. The thing is that the blood darkens over time and even blackens, so that after 5-7 days after the injury, the spot may turn black.
If the injury was very severe and the hemorrhage under the nail turned out to be extensive, then the nail on the big toe can simply peel off. In this case, a visit to the doctor is simply necessary. Since self-removal of the nail plate is fraught with unbearable pain, blood poisoning and other consequences.
Inconvenient shoes
Another reason that a person has a brown spot on the toenail is because of uncomfortable shoes. Also, in fact, an injury from pressure, accompanied by hemorrhage under the nail. Only in this case, not from a short-term strong blow, but from prolonged, but not strong pressure on the nail. Therefore, sometimes, in order to understand where this black spot on the toe of the nail came from and what caused it, it is enough for 2-3 weeks to change into light shoes that do not constrain the fingers. If the darkening has disappeared, then the reason is found and the issue is resolved.
There is no harm from such spots to health. You can just watch how it gradually disappears along with the growth of the nail. The only negative manifestation is a violation of the aesthetic appearance of the finger. This aspect excites women most of all. But it’s easy to hide under nail polish.
Ingrown nail
A brown spot on the toenail may be due to suppuration under the plate, which was caused by its ingrowth into the skin. This is a very common problem, especially for people who rarely or incorrectly monitor the state of fingernails. It seems to many that it is enough just to cut your nails in a timely manner, and they will stop growing into the skin, but this is not entirely true. It is necessary to cut the edge of the nail so that there are no sharp edges left on it, otherwise the ingrowth will occur rather quickly. And dirt that gets into the wound will cause suppuration under the plate after 2-4 days.
Fungal infection
Fungus is the most dangerous and serious damage to the legs, which, by the way, can also appear with dark spots under the nail. He has other manifestations - redness of the skin of the feet, itching and burning between the fingers, peeling nails, unpleasant odor from the feet. The fungus is diagnosed with scrapings of the skin from the foot and a blood test. Many fungi settle in the human body for life, occasionally manifesting themselves as a burning sensation and a rash. It is very difficult to get rid of them. Therapy can take many months, and the slightest deviation from the process again leads to relapse. Moreover, during treatment, you need to get rid of all objects that can become carriers of infection - a sock, shoes, personal items and so on.
Separately, it must be said about the situation with the nails of children. Kids, unlike adults, do not know how to monitor their nails, and are also more prone to injuries and can not always understand in time what shoes they press. All this should be controlled by parents and guardians, and for any suspicious pathology on the toes, show the child to the doctor.
Causes of spots of internal origin
The causes of the appearance of a spot under the thumbnail are diverse - each pathology is different in its color. That is, a professional can understand by the tint of a spot which disease leaves such a trace under the nail.
If the spot is white, then it is most likely a kidney disease. A yellow spot indicates skin problems, and with a dark brown color, vitamin deficiency can be argued.
If a black spot appears on the nail of the big toe, what is it you will be told only after a complete diagnosis. Theoretically, this may indicate the following pathologies:
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- heart disease
- anemia;
- lung or bronchial disease;
- thrombosis of small or large vessels of the legs;
- sometimes spots appear due to psoriasis;
- the stain may be a sign of heavy metal poisoning or toxic gas, while the stain is not located in the middle, but along the edges of the nail.
Spot on the finger during pregnancy
A brown spot on the toe nail, according to pregnant women and their doctors, is a fairly common occurrence. But in this case, this cannot be considered a pathology, since the woman’s body undergoes major changes during pregnancy, including at the level of metabolism. After all, all its functions are aimed at supporting the growth of the future baby. So it is understandable why at one point or another in the body there is a shortage of one of the important trace elements. Nail growth and color quickly normalize after childbirth.
Pathology treatment
It is clear that when treating a spot on the big toe caused by internal problems, all actions are aimed at eliminating the causes of its appearance, and only then efforts are focused on eliminating the spot itself.
How to treat a brown spot on the nail of the big toe is decided by a specialist after a full qualified examination.
If the anamnesis showed that the darkening of the plate occurred as a result of an injury, then there is no need to intervene in the healing process. With rare exceptions, when there is a suspicion of a broken finger. This helps to detect an x-ray of the foot.
If a brown spot appears on the nail of the big toe from the inside, then this is most likely a fungus. In this situation, the treatment is prescribed by a mycologist. Each type of fungus has its own remedy, so only a specialist can diagnose and prescribe treatment.
The fungus is especially dangerous as a disease, since it manifests itself not only in the stain under the nail. In advanced stages, the nail plate completely peels off the finger. Moreover, the fungus is extremely contagious and the nails can peel off from all fingers - both on the feet and on the hands.
Therapy includes not only foot baths, creams and lotions. A person undergoing treatment for a fungus should also adhere to a special diet and lifestyle. He takes medications that boost immunity and vitamins. This reduces the risk of relapse.
Treatment of pathology with folk remedies
A photo of the brown spot on the toe can be seen below. However, the problem is far from new, and in the old days a lot of methods for treating this phenomenon were developed.
For example, foot baths with vinegar were considered a very effective method for treating spots and fungus. From it, you can make compresses on your legs. The procedure does not take much time, about 15-20 minutes a day. After 2 weeks, there will be no fungus or stains on the nails.
Another treatment is a compress with tea tree oil. It is simple to prepare it - you need to clean laundry soap with a grater, add a few drops of oil, mix and apply to the sore spot 2 times a day for 20-30 minutes.
Legs can be greased with olive oil. You can soar them in a parsley broth.
There are a lot of ways. But before you begin such treatment, you must first consult a doctor. After all, getting rid of a spot on a finger, a person often does not solve the problem that caused this phenomenon. For example, some kind of systemic disease or malfunction of an internal organ.
Prevention
Prevention of the appearance of brown spots on the thumbnail is not aimed at avoiding possible injuries, although this is also important, but at eliminating the risks of internal pathologies. Of course, injuries should also be avoided, for this purpose it is necessary to wear sturdy, finger-protecting shoes in production. And in everyday life you should be careful and give preference to shoes and sandals with a closed toe.
In addition, you can not wear someone else’s shoes, especially on the bare foot. In this situation, you can pick up the fungus. Also, in order to avoid infection with this disease, you can not walk barefoot in public places - baths, saunas, pools. Dampness and heat is the habitat and reproduction of many pathogens.
To strengthen bones, especially toes and nails, you need to eat more foods containing calcium - milk, cheese, feta cheese, cottage cheese - all of them to some extent contain the necessary calcium. To strengthen immunity, you need to include in your diet fresh vegetables, fruits, cereals, nuts, berries and juices.
Dark spots on the nails can signal dangerous pathologies, so be sure to see a doctor at least once a year and undergo a full medical examination. This will detect the disease at the initial stage and easily cope with it.