What does it mean if your toenails look blue?
Bluish toenails When your nails turn blue or light purple in color, it may be a sign that your toes are not getting proper circulation. This frequently indicates the presence of a health condition called Raynaud’s disease, which causes narrowing of the smaller arteries which supply blood to the extremities.
What do you do when your toenail is blue?
But if you get a blue spot or a blue toenail for no clear reason, play it safe and see a doctor. You may have a blue mole beneath the nail. It’s probably harmless. But in very rare cases, a type of blue mole called a cellular blue nevus can become cancer.
What causes toes to turn blue?
If you notice that your toes look bluish in color, you may have a condition known as peripheral cyanosis. The main causes are a lack of blood reaching the toes, and lack of oxygen in the blood that does reach the toes. Normally, when blood is properly oxygenated it turns bright red.
Are blue toes serious?
Blue toe syndrome (BTS) is often described as painful digits with blue or purple discoloration without direct trauma1. Also it can lead to the amputation of toes and feet and be life threatening.
Why has my toenail gone purple?
If your toenails are purple, this may be due to a subungual hematoma, or bruising under the nail bed. “Small blood vessels bleed underneath the nail, staining it darker,” says Miguel Cunha, DPM, founder of the NYC-based Gotham Footcare.
Why are my toes blue and purple?
Not getting enough blood damages cells and the tissues they make up. This can cause the tissue to change color — usually blue or purple. When this happens to the toes, doctors call it blue toe syndrome. Some people with this condition have just one discolored toe on one foot.
What the color of your toenails say about your health?
A healthy toenail is a shade of pale pink, much like your fingernail. Any yellowing or tinges of black color means something is not right. For example, if your toenails become yellow, you probably have a fungal infection. Yellowing can also be the result of smoking or a side effect of diabetes or a liver condition.
What causes toes to be purple?
Purple feet are a sign of a circulation problem that can be potentially serious. When circulation in your feet is healthy, cuts heal quickly and your skin retains its natural color. Blood reaches your feet through a network of arteries, which are the blood vessels that carry blood from your heart.
Why are my nails bluish purple?
Blue fingernails are caused by a low level or lack of oxygen circulating in your red blood cells. This condition is known as cyanosis. It occurs when there isn’t enough oxygen in your blood, making the skin or membrane below the skin turn a purplish-blue color.
Why are my toenail beds purple?
Does anemia cause blue nails?
Blue fingernails are a symptom of this condition. **My Med Memo – Cyanosis occurs as a result of poor circulation or an inadequate amount of oxygen present in the blood. Medically speaking, blue fingernails are caused by hypoxaemia, an abnormally low level of oxygen in the blood.
How do you know if you have COVID toes?
The skin on one or more of your toes or fingers may swell up and look bright red, then gradually turn purple. Skin of color can look swollen and purple, and brownish-purple spots may appear….COVID Toes
- Blisters.
- Itching.
- Pain.
- Raised, painful bumps.
- Areas of rough skin.
What should I do if my toenail is purple?
It’s particularly important to visit your podiatrist if your nail has turned purple or black, and you don’t remember injuring it. In many cases, you may simply need an anti-fungal medication to treat a fungal infection, but it’s always a good idea to rule out more serious disease and conditions, such as cancer.