A bruised nail on the arm is a fairly common injury. It can be obtained due to various circumstances. A bruise of the finger provokes the appearance of hematomas under the nail plate, characterized by a blue-black color in the damaged area. A more serious injury is damage that disrupts blood circulation, which causes rejection of the affected nail.
What to do with a bruised fingernail? Treatment and first aid for this problem are the issues covered in this publication.
Causes and symptoms
According to statistics, often in people such damage occurs as a result of an impact on something or as a result of falling weights on a limb, and there are a lot of such cases. About 10% of such injuries occur due to pinching of the fingers. But this phenomenon is often found only in children.
The symptomatology of such an injury is rather nonspecific, therefore, certain diagnostic procedures must be performed that can eliminate the likelihood of a finger fracture. Diagnosis is only necessary for a specialist.
Key features
With such an injury, the following symptoms are observed:
- Pain in the area of the damaged nail - in the soft tissues under the nail, there are many nerve endings, because of this the pain syndrome when bruised is quite strong.
- Damage to the motor function of the injured finger - in this case, a dysfunction is not at all associated with changes in the organic appearance in the finger, but it is difficult for the victim to move the finger. This happens due to the irradiation of pain from the affected area along the nerve endings. Because of this, the pain can be localized in an area that is far from the nail.
- Unpleasant sensations in the damage zone give a person great discomfort and occur with trauma from the very beginning, cause a feeling of fullness or heaviness under the nail. It appears due to the appearance of a hematoma, which can slightly raise the plate.
- Edema in the affected area - often its occurrence is associated with a high concentration of fluid in the affected tissues.
- The nail is bluish in color - in the normal state, the affected area acquires a light gray color, and in texture - matte with a translucent shade. This can be explained by the intense process of blood circulation in the soft tissues under the nail. The appearance of such a bluish tint is due to the formation of a hematoma. Almost always, a change in appearance occurs approximately ten hours after injury.
- Separation of the nail plate - this symptom manifests itself when a hematoma occurs, which affects an area of a sufficiently large size.
First aid
Treatment should begin immediately after an injury has been received. Delaying with therapeutic measures is not recommended. Due to injury, a blood leak appears, it is accompanied by pain. All these symptoms will interfere with the person until the hematoma is eliminated. Redness of the finger and swelling can indicate not only a bruise, but also a fracture. Because of this, it is necessary to be examined by a specialist in order to eliminate the risk of damage to bone tissue.
Phase first aid
To provide first aid, it is necessary to carry out a series of manipulations.
- The victim needs to take a horizontal position. The injured limb should be raised to reduce pain, as blood flow to the affected area will be less intense.
- Hold a cold object against the affected limb. In the process of heating, you sometimes need to change it.
- Do not forget to disinfect the affected area with hydrogen peroxide or alcohol.
- In the case when the pain is very intense, it is advised to use drugs with an anesthetic effect.
What to do with a bruised fingernail (thumb and others)?
If the bruise was strong enough, and it is noticeable that the skin next to the nail turned red, then there is a possibility that it will peel off. To avoid this, you need to treat the skin with iodine, fix it well with a band-aid and go to a medical institution as soon as possible. The doctor will do everything necessary so that the accumulated blood can flow out. These manipulations are aimed at reducing the volume of the hematoma.
This procedure should be carried out only in a medical institution, it is strictly forbidden to perform it at home, it is possible blood poisoning.
When should I go to the doctor?
It is possible to treat a mild bruise without medical assistance, but usually such damage is serious, which is why it is simply necessary to visit a doctor.
In the most dangerous cases, the following symptoms may appear:
- headaches;
- high body temperature;
- the urges of nausea;
- lethargy, fatigue.
All these signs indicate the onset of the inflammatory process in the affected area or infection of the blood. In such a situation, you will urgently need to visit a medical institution. Self-treatment is prohibited, this type of treatment threatens not only the health of a person, but also his life.
Those who are interested in the danger of a bruised nail on the arm and leg should be aware that hemorrhage is called the most unfavorable consequence of such an ailment, as a result of which the nail plate is rejected. Only a good doctor can help cope with this problem.
Do I need medication?
In rare cases, medication may be necessary, which involves the use of pain medications. In this case, Aspirin is considered the most popular remedy. Also, a specialist can prescribe the application of compresses with the addition of a solution of "Dimexidum".
Many victims prefer not to notice a bruised nail on the arm, and in vain. If you take this problem lightly, you can wait until dangerous consequences arise. If incorrect treatment was provided, then the appearance of certain cosmetic defects is not excluded, because an overgrown nail after rejection can take on a completely unpleasant appearance. If a woman manages to hide such a defect behind a beautiful manicure, then men will not be able to use such a trick. Remember that you do not need to ignore such damage, the doctor must control the healing process.
Diagnostics
For any illness or injury, diagnosis and treatment are necessary steps on the path to recovery. First of all, you need to find out the causes and degree of damage, get a specialist consultation, go through an x-ray. All this is a mandatory measure to identify a possible fracture.
To determine the real causes of pathological signs, it is necessary to go through certain stages of diagnosis:
- Clarification of the causes and circumstances in which the injury was received.
- Palpation.
- Radiograph removal.
Such procedures help establish the degree of damage to the fingers and use everything necessary to cope with a similar problem.
Diagnosis of a bruise of the nail is carried out:
These doctors prescribe directions for an x-ray.
Treatment
The entire treatment process is divided into certain stages. What to do with a bruised fingernail?
- To reduce the risk of pus under the nail, dressings with ointments of antibiotic agents are used (it is advisable to often update them).
- In severe trauma, severe edema may occur. You can reduce swelling with the help of salt baths.
- Those who think what to do with a bruised nail on the hand should know: to reduce the severity and size of bruises in injuries, heparin ointment is excellent. In order to prevent infection, possible with large hematomas, it is recommended to use Levomekol.
- To speed up recovery, it is recommended to use a compress with Dimexidum and 0.25% novocaine. Such a composition will anesthetize and have an anti-inflammatory effect.
- Castor oil emulsion will help to quickly deal with the problem of nail bruise. Such an agent has an anti-inflammatory effect and accelerates the process of tissue regeneration.
- If a gradual rejection of the nail occurs, then there is a risk of serious damage and accidentally “removing” the nail due to inaccurate actions. What to do with a bruised fingernail in this case? To fix the position of the nail plate, it is recommended to make a bandage from a bandage or to use an adhesive plaster. This will help, but the process of rejection will be significantly delayed, but it will not be so painful.