Why are my toenails discolored?
Healthy toenails have a clear and partially translucent color which is an indication of a healthy body. Often, one of the first symptoms of an underlying illness is discolored nails.
Toenail discoloration is also known as chromonychia
and can have many causes. These range from minor injuries to potentially
serious health conditions. The discoloration can appear yellow, green, blue,
purple, or black.
Causes of toenail discoloration
Nail fungus or onychomycosis
Toe nail fungus can make your toe nails
become yellow, reddish brown, green, or black. If left untreated, the infection
will spread, and the discolored area will get larger. Some common causes of
nail fungus are sweaty and damp feet, walking barefoot, cuts or scraps near the
nail, and improper foot hygiene.
Injuries
Trauma to the nail like stubbing the
foot or dropping heavy objects on it can cause a subungual hematoma which leads
to a red or purple discoloration.
Improper shoes
Tight-fitting shoes can stop blood
circulation to the toes resulting in discoloration. Nails will become bruised
and purple.
Also Read: Suffering from Ingrown Toenails?
Health conditions
Nail discoloration can occur as a result
of an underlying health condition. For example, psoriasis can manifest
yellow-brown spots under the nail, cirrhosis can cause severe whiteness of
nails, yellow can signal diabetes, etc.
Nail polish
Nail polish is one of the biggest
culprits in regards to toenail discoloration. It contains chemicals like
formalin, dimethylurea, or glyoxal that penetrate and stain the layers of
keratin in your nail.
Medication
Toenails can get discolored due to some
kinds of medication. Chemotherapy drugs cause darkening or white bands across
the nail, rheumatoid arthritis drugs may cause a dark brown discoloration,
antimalarial drugs cause toe nails to turn blackish blue, minocycline can give
it a bluish gray tinge, and tetracycline antibiotics can cause yellow nails.
If you have Toe Nail Problems, you should see a podiatrist. They will
be able to diagnose the reason for the discoloration and provide a treatment
plan for it.
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