Why do black spots appear on toenails and hands and what to do?

Nails are not just keratinized areas on the tips of the fingers that women use as decorations, covering them with varnish, drawings and rhinestones, and thus hiding the flaws that should be given special attention. First of all, they are an indicator of our health. A healthy person's nails are smooth, pink, strong even without the use of special restorative products. But any changes (brittleness, the appearance of longitudinal stripes, black spots on the nails) can indicate pathologies in the body. It is important to learn to read such signals and respond to them correctly.

Where do dark spots come from in a healthy person?

Women usually consider problems with nails as a cosmetic issue. Nails become more brittle, the nail plate begins to exfoliate - this is an obstacle to a beautiful manicure, which we try to remove with the help of special nail-strengthening products. And few people think about the fact that nails began to exfoliate for a reason. This means that there is some internal or external reason that affects the condition of the nails in this way. This could be regular use of chemicals in everyday life that destroy nails, a deficiency of vitamins or minerals, or even a more serious problem - a fungal infection, the fight against which must be started without waiting for the complete destruction of the nail plate.

The same can be said about black spots on nails. They are not always a cosmetic defect that greatly spoils the appearance of the manicure. What can such a symptom indicate?

Let's not immediately scare overly emotional women (and it should be said that men are only rarely very concerned about the condition of their nails), who may think that nail defects must necessarily indicate something terrible and irreparable. Most often, they are still associated with mechanical injuries to the fingers, which are the main risk factors for the appearance of unaesthetic defects.

Sometimes we simply do not notice such injuries, and are very surprised when we find a dark spot under the nail, which can have shades from purple to black, and over time, such a mark can change color greatly. This is a subungual hematoma (bruise, bruise). The fact is that the tissues under the nail plate react to a strong blow in the same way as the rest of the skin, which means that bruises can form on it, which gradually darken and acquire a purple hue of varying intensity.

If we talk about a blow, then it can be understood as a sudden, short-term, intense force impact on the nail, as well as a blow with the nail itself on a hard surface. If it was strong, the appearance of a bruise should not be surprising.

A bruise under the nail can form not only as a result of a blow. There are frequent cases when fingers accidentally end up in a doorway when the door is closed. The pinched finger (and, as a rule, the main "blow" falls on the nail area) hurts a lot, becomes redder, swells, and after a while, when the redness gradually goes away and the pain subsides, a dark spot can be found under the nail, the size and color of which can vary depending on the strength and area of the mechanical impact.

As for our feet, the situation is even more varied. Subungual hematoma can be expected to appear after a heavy object falls on the toes, if a person hits their toe (usually the big one) hard on a hard surface, and even as a result of regularly wearing shoes that are not the right size. What does tight shoes have to do with it? The toe will constantly rest against the toe of the shoe, experience noticeable pressure, this can provoke ruptures of small vessels, which will look like dark spots under the nail.

If the hematoma is still quite fresh, pain will be felt when pressing on the nail in the area of the dark spot.

Black spots and streaks under the nails, caused by regular mechanical impact, can be seen on the hands of boxers, tennis players, basketball players, and the same spots on the toenails are typical for football fans.

What else could black spots on nails be? There is such a thing as a nevus (pigment spot, birthmark). This is a benign formation that can be found on different parts of the body. The nail bed is no exception. If a spot on the nail was noticed immediately after the birth of a child, this indicates just such a formation.

Subungual nevi do not cause any particular concern among dermatologists, and yet regular examination of the nail will not hurt. After all, nevi are not considered dangerous until the finger is injured. Mechanical or thermal impact on a nevus sometimes ends very sadly (with the transformation of a harmless mole into a malignant tumor).

It is important to understand that spots on the nail can have different shapes, which also need to be paid attention to. If these are small spots in the form of thin stripes that are observed directly inside the nail plate and shift as it grows, we are talking more about burst superficial capillaries and a small hemorrhage. Blood particles stick inside the nail plate and move along with it, not posing any danger.

Large dark longitudinal stripes on nails can be caused by taking medications (usually this is typical for tetracycline antibiotics, antimalarial drugs, drugs containing arsenic, silver, phenolphthalein, etc.), active smoking, alcoholism. Bad habits, eating undercooked meat, an incorrect daily routine can affect the condition of the nails and cause the appearance of dark spots on them, but in this case it is already worth thinking about your health.

Sometimes a small dark pattern on the nails appears after a manicure or pedicure. The reason may be poor-quality varnish, the particles of which penetrate into the stratum corneum. But sometimes a person becomes the culprit of such an unaesthetic defect when he does not remove artificial nail coatings in time.

In some people, stripes on the nails are a feature of the body or even a distinctive feature of the race. For example, black stripes on the nails can often be seen in representatives of certain nationalities: Africans, Asians, Indians, indigenous people of Mexico, i.e. people with dark skin. In this case, we are not talking about pathology, but about the characteristics of races with hyperpigmentation of the skin, which has a light shade in the area of the nail bed. A similar picture with stripes on the nails can be observed in ¾ of blacks.

Spots on nails as evidence of poor health

As we have already said, if you find black spots on your nails, you should not start to panic or give yourself a sad verdict, but you should not treat this defect carelessly either. The fact is that a change in the color of the nail may signal the development of some hidden (or exacerbation of an already diagnosed) pathology, which means that this signal must be recognized and taken into account.

It is important to understand that the pathological causes of nail defects can be very diverse. Some of them require only dietary adjustments, others require surgical intervention, and others require serious treatment of the underlying disease. But in any case, this is a reason to see a doctor and get your body in order.

What diseases can black spots indicate?

• cardiovascular diseases accompanied by increased fragility of blood vessels, when any impact on the nail can lead to bruising, inflammatory pathologies of the heart (for example, endocarditis - inflammation of the inner lining of the heart and the blood vessels lining it),
• kidney and genitourinary system diseases,
• liver dysfunction, alcoholism, intoxication,
• vitamin deficiency (usually black spots indicate a lack of vitamin B12 in the body), iron deficiency anemia (a lack of folic acid, as a result of which iron is not absorbed in the body),
• disruptions in the functioning of the endocrine system, causing changes in hormonal levels and metabolic disorders,
• problems with the digestive system (again, we are dealing with a violation of the absorption of vitamins and minerals necessary for the body, plus intoxication due to stagnation caused, for example, by intestinal inflammation),
• pigment pathologies associated with certain diseases, such as Addison's disease (adrenal insufficiency), gout, psoriasis,
• benign neoplasm of glomus cells (glomus tumor can appear on different parts of the body as small reddish nodules, but under the nail it can look like a bluish, almost black spot no more than 6 mm in diameter),
• subungual melanoma (a malignant neoplasm, usually in the form of a black spot or stripe under the nail plate, which can also extend beyond it to the nail fold area), which is similar in appearance and manifestations to a benign nevus, and sometimes even develops from it,
• nail fungus (onychomycosis).

Since spots on nails can have different shapes and shades, even an experienced doctor will not always be able to determine the cause of an unusual mark by eye. But the patient knows more. If a dark spot appeared after mechanical damage to the finger, then most likely it is a hematoma. If there were no injuries in the recent past, it is better to show the spot to a doctor to exclude or confirm pathological causes of its appearance.

Pathogenesis and statistics

So far we have only considered the reasons for the possible appearance of black spots on the nails, without delving into the mechanism of their formation. Now let's try to understand how such defects appear and why they are dark in color.

The pathogenesis of dark spots should be considered in the context of the cause that causes them. For example, if we are talking about nail injuries, dark spots represent coagulated blood. At first, the blood from vessels that burst as a result of mechanical action has a scarlet hue, so the spot looks red, but later the blood coagulates and darkens, so we see the hemorrhage site as dark, almost black.

Then, leukocytes directed to the site of injury and inflammation (and trauma always causes an inflammatory process in soft tissues) will promote the decomposition of coagulated blood particles - the hematoma will dissolve and become lighter. The liquid part of the blood that has spilled into the cavity between the nail and soft tissues will be absorbed into the lymph flow, and the thick part will disintegrate under the influence of proteolytic enzymes and will be discharged back into the bloodstream.

If there was no injury, but we are talking about a burst vessel and dark veins that appear in the stratum corneum, which do not disappear until the nail grows to the desired size, there may be no inflammation, leukocytes will not be sent to the site of injury, and there will be no one to break down the clotted blood. Blood particles "stuck" from the inside to the nail plate will move upwards along with it.

If a nevus darkens under the nail, its color is not related to blood. Moles are formations of melanocytes (pigment cells), which, depending on the number of such cells, can have different colors (from natural skin color to black). Dark brown nevi under the horny layer of the nail look like black spots.

Subungual melanoma is also a formation of melanocytes, which for some reason have changed their properties and began to multiply uncontrollably. The dark color of the spot is explained by the presence of pigment cells and necrotic processes occurring in soft tissues with this disease. The more advanced the disease, the darker the spots under the nails will be, they often look like black dots or stripes.

The color of the spot under the nail with a glomus tumor (paraganglioma) depends on the color of the neoplasm itself, which consists of nerve cells and vascular plexuses. It is clear that with a large number of vessels in the tumor, it will look brighter and darker. Under the nail, it looks like a small red, bluish or almost black spot.

When it comes to endocrine pathologies, there are 2 lines of influence on the body tissues. On the one hand, there is a violation of metabolism and blood characteristics, and on the other hand, there is the influence of hormones on the production of skin pigment. The production of pigment can be influenced by substances produced by the pituitary-hypothalamus-adrenal system and the thyroid gland, as well as sex and steroid hormones.

If we talk about cardiac and vascular pathologies, then the pathogenesis of the appearance of dark spots on the legs in this case is similar to that of nail injuries. That is, hematomas are formed due to rupture of blood vessels. For example, with atherosclerosis of blood vessels, their lumen decreases, and the pressure on the walls increases, which can cause the appearance of pinpoint hemorrhages in different parts of the body, including under the nails. This pathology is more common in older people, which means that age can be considered one of the risk factors for the appearance of dark marks under the fingernails and toenails, which is confirmed by statistics.

In children and young people, it is most often a question of nail injuries, subungual nevus, hormonal imbalances or fungal nail infections. But more serious diseases are more common in middle-aged and older people. And although we named melanoma as one of the reasons for the appearance of black spots on the legs, this disease is very rarely localized under the nail (no more than 4-6 percent of the total number of confirmed melanoma cases).

Symptoms

As we have already mentioned, the appearance of black spots on the nails may indicate both a recent injury to the nail or improper care, and a possible disease that a person may not have known about until now. This means that the spot turned out to be a signal indicating a serious or not very serious (if such exist) disease. In this case, dark spots should be considered the first signs of a health problem, and they should definitely be treated carefully.

Let's skip the moment when the appearance of dots and stripes on the nails was preceded by trauma. If desired, you can recall even minor injuries, but it is not so easy to forget about serious compression or a blow that caused bleeding under the nail. Such injuries usually do not have serious consequences, especially if the traumatic factor is removed. And even if the damaged nail continues to be subjected to "violence", the result will be the separation of the nail plate from the bed (i.e. you can lose the nail, however, for a while, then it grows back) or dystrophic changes in the horny layer of the finger (more often this is observed on the feet when wearing tight shoes or playing football).

If we are talking about traumatic injuries, then black spots in this case can most likely be expected on the nails of the big toes, which are more susceptible to injury than others even when walking, not to mention small shoe sizes or playing football.

If it was a blow from a heavy object falling on the foot, then the hematoma will form in the place where the object fell, and its size and color will depend on the force of the blow. If the injury was caused while walking, playing football, or wearing shoes that press on the toe, a dark spot will appear on the edge of the nail plate.

Usually, the appearance of a post-traumatic spot on the nail is accompanied by pain of varying intensity, which subsides as the hematoma resolves.

A blue spot on the big toe nail most often becomes evidence of a nail injury (usually a blue or purple tint, less often the spot becomes almost black, although the color will change as the hematoma resolves). A glomus tumor, most often developing closer to the edge of the nail, can have the same tint. It, like a traumatic hematoma, is characterized by pain, but only more intense. Often it hurts a person even to touch the nail under which the spot appeared. A strong, pulsating pain appears, radiating to different parts of the body.

A black spot under the big toe nail may be either a harmless nevus or melanoma. Melanoma often looks like a longitudinal dark stripe that gradually expands, and over time the spot may even go beyond the stratum corneum. But there are cases when the neoplasm looks like a regular round nevus or several small dark dots. In this case, a person will not feel pain when pressing.

If a painless black or dark brown spot is found on the stratum corneum itself, and there is no inflammation or redness on the finger, there is nothing to worry about. This is a small hemorrhage due to a ruptured small capillary, which could be caused by unworn shoes or a small injury to the finger that you did not pay attention to.

It is clear that diagnosing diseases based on external and internal symptoms is a job for specialists, so we will not claim that a suddenly appearing painless black spot on the nail necessarily indicates subungual melanoma. After all, with endocarditis, a spot may also appear on the nails, which will not cause any discomfort when pressed.

A brown spot on the nail of the big toe or on the hands is usually associated with diseases of the kidneys and genitourinary system. In this case, pain and inflammatory reactions are absent. Spots that have a color from light to dark brown can appear on the nails with hormonal disorders. An old hematoma can acquire the same colors. From blue and purple, it can change to brown, yellowish or greenish, which will still be visible through the nail plate as various shades of brown.

In case of fungal infection of fingernails and toenails, in addition to the dark (usually dark brown or even black) spot, other changes can be noticed. Symptoms of onychomycosis include increased fragility of the nail, delamination and deformation of the nail plate (it becomes dull, convex stripes and chips appear), an unpleasant odor from the finger affected by the disease.

Often, with a fungal infection, the changes affect not one, but several fingers at once. Moreover, the probability of damage is the same for all fingers of the limb, although the disease affects the legs more often than the hands, and the cause is often poor-quality shoes, in which the feet overheat and sweat, and moisture and heat are the best conditions for the reproduction of opportunistic microorganisms, including fungal flora - a frequent guest of our skin and nails.

A black spot on the fingernail, if it is not a congenital subungual nevus, may indicate both pathological and safe reasons for its appearance. A hematoma under the nail, formed as a result of mechanical impact or a splinter, as well as a glomus tumor, which can appear on one or more fingers, will be painful.

A large number of small dark spots on the finger under the nail that appear without a reason, or a longitudinal dark stripe are clear signs of cancer (which is not at all necessary, but it is worth checking!). The appearance of new dark spots should also be a warning sign. Pain in cancer usually appears in the later stages, so its absence does not mean that the problem is not serious.

Brownish spots on the edge of the nail plate usually appear with kidney and genitourinary diseases. Painless spots of different shades and decent sizes can manifest intoxication of the body due to the use of large doses of alcohol, smoking, taking medications, which primarily affects the liver and kidneys. In this case, the color of the spots will vary, and their appearance will be prevented by other symptoms: nausea, general and muscle weakness, headaches, pain in the lower back or right hypochondrium, etc.

Endocrine diseases may not manifest themselves for a while. The patient may complain only of weakness, fatigue, weight changes, decreased sexual desire. So, changes in the pigmentation of the nails and skin under them may be the first sign of pathology and only specific diagnostic measures (in particular, analysis of sugar and hormones) will help to establish what this symptom is associated with.

If we are talking about a lack of vitamin B12, which regulates pigment production, the appearance of dark spots can be expected not only under the fingernails and toenails, but also on other areas of the skin.

With anemia, nails usually acquire a whitish tint, on which you can see dark spots with a blue tint. Iron deficiency anemia is associated with a lack of vitamin B9 (folic acid) in the body, which is responsible for the functionality of red blood cells. Red blood cells, in turn, are the main suppliers of oxygen to tissues. It turns out that with a lack of folic acid, all tissues of the body suffer, experiencing hypoxia.

One of the symptoms of anemia may be the appearance of bluish dark spots on pale nails. Other symptoms will be deterioration of the skin, hair and nails, unusual pallor and cyanosis of the skin, increased fatigue, deterioration of performance and mood, decreased ability to conceive a child, miscarriages, etc.

Small hemorrhages under the nail, similar to a splinter mark, can be a symptom of a parasitic disease called trichinosis. Other symptoms include fever (sometimes very high), swelling of the arms and legs, rashes on the body, muscle and joint pain.

You can become infected with parasites by eating undercooked meat, especially pork. By the way, such stripes on fingernails can be seen with some autoimmune pathologies and connective tissue diseases (in particular, psoriasis). Only a medical specialist can determine the nature of the appearance of dark stripes under the nails, if it is not a splinter.

A black spot under a fingernail on the hand may be a pigmented nevus that has appeared unexpectedly under the influence of ultraviolet radiation (for example, in the sun). In this case, moles can also appear on other parts of the body exposed to solar radiation. But melanoma spots also appear suddenly, which are no different from a benign nevus if you look at it through the nail plate. A person does not experience any pain or discomfort.

At an early stage, melanoma is not much different from a mole, but as it grows, it will lift the nail plate, and over time, it will lead to its deformation. The stratum corneum will become brittle, begin to crumble and move away from the nail bed even more. Eventually, the nail plate will have to be removed. Although when diagnosing cancer, this is done in any case, in order to be able to thoroughly remove all melanoma cells.

If the black spot has a bluish tint, it may be caused by cardiovascular diseases and associated pulmonary insufficiency. The shade of the spot in this case indicates tissue hypoxia, i.e. lack of oxygen in the blood.

If a black spot has formed on the nail of the thumb, its appearance is most often associated with traumatic injury. It just so happens that the thumbs and toes are more susceptible to injury than others. But if you cannot remember the moment of injury, it is worth observing the spot more closely. A hematoma usually first changes color to a darker one, and then gradually becomes lighter. The pain also becomes less intense. But melanoma may not cause any discomfort at first, but the spot will gradually grow, and its color will darken. The appearance of pain will be evidence that time has been lost.

It is clear that all the above-mentioned reasons and symptoms of black spots on the nails will also be characteristic of the thumb or toe. So an examination will be required regardless of which finger the nail has darkened. You can do without a doctor's consultation only in the case of a not very serious nail injury, if the nail plate has not peeled off.

Diagnostics

It is clear that any of us can diagnose a subungual hematoma after a serious nail injury. It is not at all necessary to go to a medical institution for this. Another thing is that for some time, to calm the soul, you will have to observe the changes in the color and shape of the dark spot formed on the nail. Why is this necessary? At least to exclude the risk of mistaking a fresh melanoma for a hematoma. Suddenly, an achromatic nevus (or even worse, a colorless melanoma) was hidden on the finger under the nail until this time, which began to degenerate from the blow. If the dark spot on the finger does not decrease in size or fade within a week, this should already arouse suspicion and become a reason to contact a specialist.

Black spots on the nails are not a sign of health. Even ancient healers understood this. In Tibetan medicine, which has ancient origins, nails were even used to diagnose a person's health. It is clear that traditional medicine treats such manifestations more than attentively. An examination does not always end with a visit to a therapist. Quite often, consultations with other specialists are required: a dermatologist, urologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist, etc.

If trauma and hematoma are excluded, and dark stripes or multiple spots are visible on the nail, subungual melanoma is preliminarily suspected, so the patient is sent for dermatoscopy (the nail is X-rayed and the structure of the spot is examined under a special microscope called a dermatoscope). In addition, a blood test is prescribed: general, biochemical (will allow to identify the fact of inflammation or intoxication) and tumor markers. If the diagnosis of melanoma is confirmed, the patient is sent for an ultrasound of the finger, which will allow to identify metastases and the ways of their spread.

The most accurate method of diagnosing cancer is considered to be a biopsy, but since the tumor itself is hidden under the nail plate, the procedure can only be performed after its removal. Melanoma is also dangerous because if it is disturbed, it will begin to grow rapidly and metastasize, so it is advisable to perform a biopsy after the tumor has been removed. A small area of the removed tissue is sent for histological examination.

Glomus tumor is identified by such a symptom as acute pain radiating to the shoulder and other parts of the body. Examination with a dermatoscope will not show the presence of malignant cells under the nail. On an X-ray, it is often possible to see how a rounded nodule of a tumor compresses the bone of the phalanx.

As for laboratory tests, in addition to the above tests, the doctor may prescribe a blood sugar test (confirms or excludes diabetes), a blood clotting test (low clotting can explain frequent bleeding), and a urine test (will show if something is wrong with the kidneys and bladder).

If kidney disease or cystitis is suspected, a urologist will additionally conduct an examination and prescribe an ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder. Problems in the sexual sphere may require examination by a gynecologist and urologist (or andrologist), taking smears for microflora. If there is a suspicion of hormonal disorders, an endocrinologist consultation is needed, a study of the thyroid gland, hormone and blood sugar tests, and a urine sugar test.

If dark spots with blue tint appear, as well as frequent microscopic hemorrhages, the suspicion falls on vascular problems or heart pathologies. The patient will be prescribed an electrocardiogram to clarify the nature of the heart's work and possible changes. If atherosclerosis is suspected, the doctor will prescribe effective vascular studies: angiography, ultrasound Dopplerography of the lower extremity vessels, aortoarteriography using contrast agents, etc.

If the doctor suspects a parasitic infection, a general blood test, a series of serological studies of the biomaterial (for example, an enzyme immunoassay) will be prescribed, and an intravenous allergy test will be performed. If the material is insufficient and the results of the study are controversial, a muscle tissue biopsy may be prescribed.

Nail fungus usually has characteristic features: an unpleasant odor and destruction of the nail plate. The dark spot on the nails in this case has a greenish tint. The final diagnosis is established after examining the biomaterial under a microscope and bacterial culture. The material for research is taken by scraping from the inside of the nail plate.

Since black spots on the nails themselves do not indicate a specific disease, but only hint at possible health problems, a large role is given to differential diagnostics, which is carried out by analyzing the information obtained during the examination of the patient and conducting various diagnostic measures.

During the nail examination, the doctor asks leading questions (how long ago did the dark spot appear, what preceded its appearance, does the spot change shape or size and how, what other health complaints does the patient have), which help determine the nature and cause of the spot. For example, the same pigmented nevus that appeared in early childhood will raise less suspicion of melanoma than a spot that suddenly appeared in adulthood.

It is especially important for a doctor to differentiate melanoma from a completely harmless mole or glomus tumor, because malignant neoplasms can grow very quickly, so it needs to be detected as early as possible.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ], [ 4 ]

Features of treatment

The habit of taking black spots on nails for a purely cosmetic defect becomes the reason for late visits to doctors regarding developing diseases. Of course, it is easier to disguise the spot under a thick layer of varnish, but this will not solve the problem. Disguising a defect and treating the cause that caused its appearance are completely different things, which have different results.

The answer to the question of what to do if a black spot appears on a nail is ambiguous. If we are talking about a spot after a nail injury that did not cause damage or rejection of the nail plate and does not subsequently cause an unpleasant pressing sensation due to the accumulation of blood in the space between the nail plate and its bed, there is no need to rush to the hospital. A cold compress is applied to the injured finger, which will help relieve pain and inflammation. Cabbage leaves can also be used to combat pain.

If blood has accumulated under the nail and the patient feels discomfort from it, he/she should go to the hospital to undergo a nail drainage procedure to release the blood from there.

This procedure can be done at home, using a hot thick needle or a paper clip, but there are big doubts about the sterility of such manipulations. At home, it is easy to introduce an infection under the nail, causing suppuration of soft tissues and threatening the loss of the nail.

If the procedure is performed in sterile conditions, the person feels relief. A sterile wet bandage is applied to the puncture site. This is the end of the treatment.

Another way to let blood out from under the nail at home is to dip the finger with a darkened spot on the nail into a strong, fairly hot solution of potassium permanganate for a quarter of an hour. The nail tissue will soften, and the blood will come out on its own, and the potassium permanganate will prevent infection from getting inside.

In case of severe injury with damage to the nail, you need to see a doctor. The nail plate may need to be removed and stitches applied.

A splinter under the nail requires specialist intervention only in the case of severe suppuration. To prevent this, the splinter should be removed immediately and the wound should be filled with any available antiseptic (saline solution, potassium permanganate, soda solution, chlorhexidine, etc.).

Small single streaks of blood on the nails due to a burst capillary do not require a visit to the doctor and treatment, if the person has no other health complaints. But the regular occurrence of blackheads is already a reason to see a doctor and check the functioning of the cardiovascular system, metabolism, etc., in order to understand what caused the increased fragility of blood vessels. The doctor will prescribe treatment based on the results of studies depending on the identified pathology.

If a mole has been hidden under the nail since childhood, and it does not change color or shape, it is worth checking it just for peace of mind at least once a year. But a change in shade or shape, the appearance of pain under the nail are alarming factors that require consultation and examination by a dermatologist.

If melanoma or glomus tumor is detected, treatment is surgical and only in a hospital setting. Treatment of glomus tumor is performed using conduction anesthesia (nerve block) and involves the following manipulations: the nail fold is moved back, which makes it possible to lift the free edge of the nail plate and remove (peel) the neoplasm from there. The nail plate is lowered to its original place and fixed. In severe cases, the nail is removed.

During surgical treatment of melanoma, part of the soft tissue where metastases have spread is removed along with the nail plate, capturing about 1 cm of healthy tissue. If metastases have spread deep into the body, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are required.

In a hospital setting, trichinellosis will also have to be treated, because this disease often develops into a severe form and can end in the death of the patient or severe complications. To combat trichinella, anthelmintic drugs are used (Mebendazole, Albendazole, Vermox, Thiabendazole, etc.). Symptomatic treatment with anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drugs is carried out in parallel.

If we are talking about a fungal infection of the nail, you should not delay a visit to the doctor, at least because timely treatment will help prevent complete destruction of tissue. If the disease has affected less than half of the nail, only local treatment with antifungal agents is carried out. With a wide spread of onychomycosis, systemic therapy with antifungal drugs, laser treatment, and rarely surgical removal of the nail are also prescribed.

At home, nail fungus can be additionally treated with alcohol and water tinctures of garlic, baths with a decoction of succession, saline solutions, celandine infusion, potassium permanganate, iodine, tea tree oil and other compounds intended for local use (treatment of the nail plate and soft tissues around it, compresses, foot and hand baths).

Since black spots on nails can have different causes, treatment in each specific case will be prescribed individually. The patient's task is not to waste time, waiting for new symptoms of the disease to appear, but to contact a doctor when incomprehensible dark spots and stripes appear on the nails, the destruction of the nail plate, the appearance of an unpleasant odor from under the nail, which is clearly felt when cutting nails.

[ 5 ], [ 6 ]

Consequences and complications

Black spots on nails are not just a cosmetic defect that spoils the appearance of a manicure or pedicure. Their appearance is always associated with some health problems, because even the same finger injury causes such an unpleasant phenomenon as an inflammatory process, and a burst capillary indicates a violation of the elasticity of the vessel walls, which does not indicate absolute health.

The appearance of various formations, brittle nails and dark spots on them should be treated very carefully. It is clear that when the cause of the subungual hematoma is an injury, the most unpleasant consequence can be the loss of a nail, which will grow back after a few months. But even here there is a small danger, because the tearing off of the nail plate leads to the fact that the nail bed remains unprotected from dirt and bacteria. If you do not take measures to protect it, the wound can become infected, which is fraught with suppuration and long-term treatment.

If a splinter gets under the nail, there is also a risk of infection of the wound, but usually by the splinter itself. This is fraught with the formation of pus under the nail plate, which is not so easy to get to. If a purulent process develops, it may even be necessary to remove part of the nail plate to gain access to the affected area for its treatment with antimicrobial agents.

But what we take for a splinter mark may be the path of movement of small trichinella parasites, causing a severe allergic reaction in the body of an infected person. If the disease is mild, it does not cause severe complications, but a serious infection with trichinella is fraught with the development of inflammatory diseases of the myocardium of the heart, kidneys, lungs, membranes of the brain, and liver. Severe pain syndrome limits motor activity. Moreover, the disease can lead to the death of the patient (mortality rate up to 30% in case of a severe course of the disease).

If traces of broken vessels appear on the nails, this is already a reason to think about the state of the cardiovascular system. Perhaps the rupture of the vessel was a consequence of an injury, but if the situation is repeated, the cause of the phenomenon may be incipient atherosclerosis, which over time will spread to other vessels, causing disruptions in the functioning of various organs.

The most harmless spot on the nail can be considered a subungual nevus. But it can also behave unpredictably when hit. Trauma can cause increased cell division and their degeneration into malignant cells, which is typical for melanocytes.

Glomus tumor can also be considered relatively harmless, if not for the severe pain associated with this neoplasm. Although the tumor is considered benign with a small risk of cell degeneration, such a danger cannot be ruled out. And the sensations when a painful nodule forms under the nail, frankly, are not pleasant. The pain can be so severe that it deprives a person of peace and sleep.

But melanoma can hardly be called harmless. It is a cancerous tumor that usually develops quite quickly. If it is caught at stage 1 or 2, the probability of cure remains quite high, as for oncological pathology. But at stage 3 and 4, the tumor already gives metastases, it is much more difficult to correct it. A person can lose not only a nail, but also some part of a finger. If distant metastases appear, the chances of survival are very low. A person dies from damage to vital organs.

We will not dwell once again on how important it is to diagnose various diseases of the endocrine, genitourinary and other systems in time, before they cause dangerous complications. We will only repeat that black spots on the nails can become that important bell that will push us to an important visit to get a specialist consultation.

[ 7 ], [ 8 ]

Prevention

As for preventing the appearance of spots on the nails, in most cases it turns out to be much easier than treating all sorts of diseases with such a symptom. It is clear that it is very difficult to protect yourself from all diseases, but their occurrence can be reduced to a minimum by adjusting your lifestyle and diet.

The condition of our nails is greatly affected by metabolism. And most useful and harmful substances enter our body with food. A balanced diet, which will contain all the vitamins and minerals necessary for a person, will help to keep not only nails healthy, but also the whole body as a whole.

Since the condition of our nails can be affected by our bad habits, we should give up drinking alcohol and smoking, along with products containing chemical additives and GMOs.

Physical activity affects the condition of our entire body. Moderate physical activity will help maintain the body's strength along with walks in the fresh air, saturating tissues and organs with oxygen and preventing hypoxia.

To prevent hematomas on fingernails and toenails, you just need to be more careful. Most often, injuries are caused by haste. When doing potentially dangerous work for your fingers, you must not be distracted by other things or conversations. You need to remember that doors, knives, hammers and other dangerous objects do not have eyes, but we do.

When working with chemicals, it is necessary to use protective equipment for your hands. This will prevent nails and skin from being damaged and various marks from appearing.

Particular attention should be paid to shoes that should not squeeze the foot and toes. This will prevent not only the appearance of hematomas under the nail, but also the painful sensations caused by their appearance.

Taking care of your fingernails and toenails means not only carefully cutting them and covering them with varnish, but also carrying out disinfection procedures. When visiting swimming pools and public baths and saunas, you must wear individual rubber slippers on your feet. After leaving a public place, it is advisable to treat the skin of your hands and under your nails with antiseptics (there are special sprays). This will help prevent fungal infections.

Feet and hands should be regularly washed with soap and examined for all sorts of defects. Wearing individual shoes of good quality, regularly washing socks and tights, cosmetic procedures using special foot products with disinfectant components, such as tea tree oil, will help prevent toenail fungus.

A regular annual medical examination, which most of us treat extremely negatively, without realizing the need for such an event, will help prevent many dangerous diseases. The appearance of black spots on the nails should not be perceived as a small cosmetic defect. They should be considered as a reason to take a close look at your health, which we in vain did not do before.

Forecast

Black spots on nails can be a symptom of one of many diseases. Some pathologies require simple treatment and do not cause dangerous consequences, others are fraught with all sorts of complications, and a disease such as melanoma has a considerable percentage of fatal outcomes. It is clear that in such conditions it is impossible to make any general forecasts.

It can only be said that the prognosis is the worst for melanoma, especially if it was detected at a late stage. Glomus tumor is usually not life-threatening, but can still relapse after removal. A disease such as vascular atherosclerosis also requires long-term serious treatment.

The effectiveness of treatment for other diseases depends on the timeliness of diagnosis and initiation of treatment, the patient's compliance with the doctor's orders, and the patient's age.

[ 9 ]