What causes pain in the toenail for no apparent reason?

May 05, 2023 Source: Cainiu Health

Dr. Liu Wan

Introduction

Long-term wearing of ill-fitting shoes can compress the feet, and accidental trauma such as stubbing or heavy object impact on the toes may also cause pain. In addition, factors such as paronychia, neuritis, ingrown toenail, and post-herpetic neuralgia may lead to unexplained toe nail pain. It is recommended that patients seek timely medical attention at a hospital and receive appropriate treatment based on the specific condition.

In general, unexplained toe pain may be caused by factors such as trauma, paronychia, or neuritis. A detailed analysis is as follows:

1. Trauma

Long-term wearing of ill-fitting shoes that compress the feet, or accidental kicking injuries or crush injuries to the toes, may cause pain. Patients should pay attention to rest and wear loose, comfortable shoes and socks in daily life.

2. Paronychia

If minor injuries such as punctures or bruises occur in the soft tissue around the nail and become infected with microorganisms, paronychia may develop, leading to redness, swelling, heat, and pain in the perionychium. Patients may follow medical advice to use topical medications such as fusidic acid cream or mupirocin ointment for treatment.

3. Neuritis

Neuritis is usually associated with mechanical compression, trauma, nutritional deficiencies, and other factors. It mainly presents with sensory disturbances and motor impairments. If the affected nerve's innervation area progressively develops more symptoms, it may involve the foot and lead to toe pain. Patients may take oral medications such as vitamin B2 tablets or mecobalamin tablets under medical guidance.

In addition, this symptom could also be caused by conditions such as ingrown toenail or postherpetic neuralgia. It is recommended that patients seek timely medical evaluation at a hospital.

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