A painful or unsightly toe can affect your daily living and quality of life. This discussion will educate you on what a toe subungual exostosis is and when you should seek professional medical care from a nail doctor. You can receive comprehensive care for the painful toe subungual exostosis in Queens, NYC, with a top podiatrist at Best Foot Doctor NY.
Understanding What a Toe Subungual Exostosis Is
Subungual means under the nail bed, and exostosis is a benign (noncancerous) bone tumor that forms on the surface of an existing bone. A toe subungual exostosis is a growth on the distal phalanx bone of a toe under the nail bed (subungual), directly under the nail. They most commonly occur during rapid bone growth in children and teens but can occur at any age.
Causes of Toe Subungual Exostosis
The exact cause of exostoses is unknown. However, some factors may contribute to their formation. These include:
- Injury: An acute traumatic event such as dropping a heavy object on the toe or significant stubbing of the toe.
- Repetitive trauma: Repetitive impact or microtrauma to the toenail, such as with ill-fitting shoes that put pressure on the toenail or activities like running and hiking with poorly fitting shoes.
- Genetics: Certain individuals may be genetically predisposed to developing all types of bone spurs or other bony growths in their feet.
Signs and Symptoms to Look for With Subungual Exostosis
Whether you are mostly asymptomatic or only have subtle symptoms, please don’t ignore them. Early diagnosis and appropriate subungual exostosis treatment is the best course of action.
Discomfort does not always accompany this condition, but if it does, seeking care from a leading podiatrist will have you back on track with your favorite activities and wearing all your favorite shoes. A toe subungual exostosis may be pain-free, especially in its early stages. As the condition progresses, it may become rather painful—most notably when applying pressure to the top of the toenail. This is different from ingrown toenail pain, which occurs along the sides of the toenail. You would undoubtedly want to have the problematic toe thoroughly examined by a Queens podiatrist at Best Foot Doctor NY.
Signs and Symptoms That May Be Present—Other Than Pain:
- Inflammation or swelling of the toe in the tissue surrounding the area of the exostosis is possible, causing a red, tender toe.
- The toenail may become distorted due to disruption of the nail bed, where the bony growth puts pressure from underneath.
- The toenail may become lifted, and a lesion or nodule may appear under the toenail, which may also become inflamed.
- Discoloration of the toenail due to disruption of the nail bed may also occur.
If left untreated and allowed to progress, permanent damage to the nail bed and toenail are possible.
If you have any of these signs and symptoms, a visit to a nail doctor—a podiatrist—is warranted to assess the toe and make a definitive diagnosis.
What Should I Do if I Have Symptoms of a Toenail Subungual Exostosis?
If you experience any of the symptoms above, promptly make an appointment with your podiatrist. In the meantime, there are conservative measures you can take. These may be helpful to alleviate symptoms before your appointment with a Queens podiatrist.
- Ensure your shoes do not put excessive pressure on the involved toe.
- Wear shoes with a larger toe box or open-toe shoes.
- Use padding to cushion the affected toe.
- Avoid activities that exacerbate symptoms.
- Keep toenails properly trimmed.
Your podiatrist will gather information from you, perform a thorough physical exam, and most likely x-ray your toe to make a definitive diagnosis of a toe subungual exostosis. Surgical removal of the growth may be recommended. Surgery is an outpatient procedure done with a local anesthetic, where the nail surgeon makes an incision, removes the bony growth, scrapes and smooths the bone, and closes the incision. Partial or complete nail removal may be necessary. A bulky dressing is applied, and you will require a special shoe during healing. The exact exostosis surgery procedure is tailored to the individual depending on the location of the subungual exostosis.
Trust Best Foot Doctor NY To Provide the Best Subungual Exostosis Treatment
You don’t need to deal with ongoing pain or be uncomfortable with the appearance of your toes. A visit to our exceptional team at Best Foot Doctor NY will have you wearing your favorite shoes and enjoying your favorite activities, pain-free, in no time. Don’t delay; contact us for an appointment today.