What is wrong with my toe??

[Guest rtnty]

Here's the deal: some time ago--well over a year, I think--I dropped something very heavy on the second toe of my left foot. The nail ended up falling off altogether and took several months to regrow, but after the new nail grew in I had no problems.

 

About 2-3 weeks ago, I started having some pain in that toe while going about my normal daily activities, looked at my foot one night, and saw a pool of blood starting to form underneath the nail. The spot has now grown so that the lower 2/3 of my nail is dark. There's been no leakage of blood out from under the nail or around the cuticle, and it doesn't hurt if I'm sitting still, but when I walk/run/dance, it hurts. I should also mention that there are two parallel ridges running down the center of that nail (and ONLY that nail) from top to bottom. Don't know where those came from.

 

I'm not on pointe, haven't dropped anything on my foot, am well nourished, and have no problems with any of my other toes/nails. I also don't have health insurance, so I can't just go have it checked out. Can any of you offer a suggestion as to what might be going on? Thanks...and my apologies if this post should have been put in the nutrition/health forum instead of adult students.

[Mel Johnson]

Fairly common, blood under the nail, etiology unknown. Chances are that is has little or nothing to do with the previous injury, and came on from a bump so slight that you didn't even notice it at the time. It will either grow out, or the nail will fall off.

[Guest rtnty]

Thanks, Mr. Johnson...glad to hear it's nothing to be worried about.