Toenail Falling Off - What to Do

Toenail falling off is a commonly occurring problem. Medically, it is known as onychoptosis. Toenail starts to fall off primarily because of two reasons. One is fungal infection of the toes and second is some kind of injury of the toenails. In both the cases, prior to falling off, the nail gets discolored. From the change in color, you can identify the exact underlying cause behind toenail falling off. What to do, to prevent the toenail from falling off, will be addressed later. Before that, let us gather some more information on the effect of fungal infection and injury on your toenail.

Toenail Falling Off Due to Fungus

The fungal infection affecting the toenail is known as onychomycosis. It is a highly contagious form of infection and is caused by bacteria. It can infect a single toenail or more. The infection occurs at the tip of the nail first and later spreads below the surface of the nail. Initially, the infected toenail causes a lot of pain and the toe may get swollen as well. Then, its discoloration starts which could make the toenail yellow or brown or white. Gradually, the toenail becomes thick and in some cases, gives out foul smell. When the infection is severe, the toenail crumbles or splits off and finally falls off. To know more read on:

• Toe Nail Fungus
• Nail Fungus

Toenail Falling Off Due to Injury

There are many ways in which the toenail may get injured. Athletes often get injury on their toenails because of the constant pressure on their toes while running. Shoes that are smaller in size, can cause injury to the toenail. Large toenails can hit the shoe repeatedly and bruise the toe nail. When the injury damages the underlying nail bed and causes the toenail to fall off, it is known as subungal hematoma. Because of the injury, the toenail gets detached from the nail bed and it becomes painful. Later the color of the toenail changes to black or bluish black and eventually it falls off.

Treatment for Toenail Falling Off

The main aim of the treatment is to root out the fungal infection completely. Even if there is a slight infection left, it can spread to other toenails. When your toenail is hurting too much, you should consult a doctor or podiatrist. First off all, the doctor will administer some medications, that can provide relief from the pain and bring down the inflammation. Then the underlying cause is treated. If the cause is fungus, then an anti fungal cream needs to be applied along with some oral medications. In case, the fungal infection become serious and does not respond to the treatment, then surgical intervention may be required, where the affected toe nail is removed surgically. When it is caused by some injury, it is likely that some fluid is accumulated under the nail. So, once the pain subsides, your doctor will drain out the fluid and swelling and the pain will be relieved. To know more read on toenail fungus treatment.

Treating Toenail Falling Off at Home

There are some home remedies, that can act as effective cure for toes falling off. Here is the list of home remedies for toe nail falling off:

• Tea tree oil is an excellent remedy for fungus on toenail. You have to rub well tea tree oil in its undiluted form, on the affected nail daily twice, for at least two weeks. To know more read on toenail fungus - tea tree oil.
• Application of apple cider vinegar is helpful in getting rid of the fungus on toenails. Dip your feet in to warm apple cider vinegar and keep it for about 15 minutes, then dry it off. Do this daily and you will find the infection going down within a few days. To know more read on vinegar cure for toenail fungus.
• Benzalkonium chloride is an excellent antiseptic that cures toes falling off, caused due to fungus. Apply it once or twice daily to obtain the best results.

Now toenail falling off, what to do is known to you. Sometimes, even after undergoing treatment, if the toenail falls off then do not worry. A new toenail will grow and replace the old one within a few months. Till the new toenail grows, you have to take good care of the affected area. Use some ointment to disinfect the area and cover it up with a bandage to prevent any further infection.