Help, I've done a hideous thing to my toenail.

[littlebrownmouse]

Yesterday I hit my big toe nail on the freezer door. It cracked down the middle and has lots of bruising and blood underneath it. I've just caught the same toe na o. The car door and a big section of it has lifted up and it's bleeding more. It's cracked from the top to about half way down and then across to the edge and this whole action has lifted up a bit. It's grim and I do t know what to do. I think it needs dressing but do I ring the doc? Go to a and e? Let DH do it (shudder, please no!!) will they want to take my nail off? Eeek!

This is what I would do. Clean it really well with running water and cut some plasters up pto make butterfly stitches to tape it down. I wouldn't cover the whole thing (wounds need air and I would want to keep an eye on it for possible infection) but it would keep the nail down and stop it getting caught again.

If it gets oozy or anything else happens then go to Minor Accidents place.

Good luck!

Thanks. DH home and said the same thing. He wants to do it for me (gulp) and mentioned salt water (eeek).

I would go straight to A&E where they will prob pull it out. You might have damaged the nail bed.
The likelihood of you catching it again is very high, I prob think (like on the bedclothes,trousers etc.)

I did both of mine - one on a pavement and one in a bus door.

The bus door one didn't seem too bad at first, then started to smell and ooze clear fluid after a few days as it became infected under the nail.

My nails both grew back fine.

A&E also told me I'd broken both toes too.