luckymom Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 I can't get to the doctor for a few weeks and I am trying to figure out what's going on with my big toe. Maybe one of you has experienced this before: About a month ago, my left big toe began swelling and getting pink between the cuticle and toe joint. The nail stopped growing and it was painful to the touch. There is no evidence of either infection or fungus at all. There is no ingrown nail. Since then the entire toe has become swollen and redder but no longer painful. The nail has not grown at all in all of that time. I am otherwise healthy. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjffkj Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Do you have new shoes that are too small? My mil once wallked around all day in new shoes that didn't fit right. She was on vacation and had no other shoes that day so just wore them. They ended up killing her toenails somehow and all her nails fell off gradually and the new ones grew in very slowly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 My DH gets ingrown nails at the base of the nail instead of at the top. It's freaky and painful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 This has happened to me! I have one big toenail that really curves down into my toe along the sides. I have to keep it very short or my shoes put a lot of pressure on it and it gets sore. It's gotten so bad that now even when it is very short my shoes can easily put a little pressure on it. That toe has a higher profile than my other one because of the roundness of the nail. What you have described has happened to me. The area around the base of the nail becomes inflamed, I think because pressure on the nail has made it detatch at the base, or its in danger of detaching. Then the toe swells, first just at the base of the nail and then the whole toe. The toenail changes color/appearance because it is no longer firmly attatched to the bed. It stops growing because a new toenail is growing underneath it. After a while the swelling will go away and the old toenail will come off. Only one time with the pain and swelling like that did I end up not losing the toenail, the other two times it eventually came off. Soaking in hot water and Epsom salts (yes, sounds strange because you'd think cold water would help the swelling more) seems to work best for relief. It softens the nail and prevents infection, and does seem to lessen the overall swelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 It could be a nail spur, where a small sliver grows off near the bottom of the nail. I think you should get it checked. It sounds like one of those things that could be much more difficult to deal with later rather than sooner. I'm a bit confused that it's swollen and redder but you say there are no signs of infection. Those are two signs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckymom Posted February 6, 2016 Author Share Posted February 6, 2016 Thanks. It's weird. I'll soak and see what the doctor says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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