“Broken nail”: the term itself sends a shiver down our spine. For most of us, a smashed finger was a common issue during our childhood days, and it may happen to us even now. Sometimes, our fingers would be caught between doors and windows or crushed under heavy objects while we were at play and the fingernail injury made us cry in pain. Even now, a torn, cracked, split, or broken nail can be very painful and can make it difficult for us to fully concentrate on any task.
Fingernail injuries can be of different types. Sometimes the nail gets lifted from the nail bed and leads to bleeding. Sometimes blood might get collected between the fingernail and the nail bed and cause a lot of pain. Sometimes nail lacerations may occur and seem very serious as the lacerations may enter through the nails and the nail bed and go right up to the cuticle. Usually, a nail injury is not very serious and should be allowed to heal on its own in a couple of days. However, if a nail injury is serious, medical help is necessary.
When To Seek Medical Help?
If a nail is cracked, split, or broken and swelling occurs along with a throbbing pain, the injury might be a serious one. It might be a sign of a cracked finger bone rather than a mere fingernail injury. In such cases, a doctor’s consultation is always recommended. You must get an X-ray done to check if there has been a hairline fracture.
Sometimes, a fingernail injury might not seem serious in the beginning, but later, there might occur an infection such as pus formation. The pain may even cause a high fever. In such cases, adequate treatment of the injured nail is required. Certain medications must be followed to treat such nail injuries. Even in cases where the nail has torn off from the nail bed and a lot of bleeding has occurred, a doctor’s advice must be taken so that further chances of infection are a negated possibility. The blood that gets collected in the nail bed is sometimes drained out by piercing the nail. The pressure exerted by the blood clotting must be released in such cases as too much clotting of blood can damage the nail permanently. It is advisable not to try this method at home and all by yourself as you might trigger the injury to get infected with pus and bring about further complications.
Easy Home Remedies To Treat Nail Injuries
1. If the nail injury is a minor one, try soaking the finger in warm salt water so that the pain is significantly reduced.
2. If the nail bed is still raw and is hurting a lot, keep the nail bandaged so that the broken or split nail stays clean and safe from getting infected in any way.
What Must Be Done After The Nail Heals?
Once the pain in the nail injury goes away and your broken nail has healed, you must keep the nail well moisturized. Apply enough hand cream or Vaseline petroleum jelly on the nails to prevent dryness. Moisturizing the nails also prevents them from becoming excessively brittle. Those nails that are too brittle are more prone to splits and cracks. You must always avoid using any nail polish remover too often as it dries the nails and makes them very brittle.
Once your broken, torn, cracked, or split nail has healed, you will feel much relieved as that stinging pain will go away. Keep your nails healthy, be careful in every step you take, and wear appropriate shoes to keep your nails healthy and free from any danger.
