There are some feelings in life that we all share. One example would be the feeling of anxiety when one of the characters in a scary movie is about to open a door and you are sure that danger is behind the door.
(Just as an aside – I also will scream when someone jumps out at a character in a scary movie – even when I know they are there and are going to jump out. When I think about it, it doesn’t make sense but I will let out a little scream every time. I am not sure that is universal. If you do the same, let me know so I won’t feel alone.)
But then there are two words that can make us shudder. These two words bind us in our humanity. What are those words, you wonder?
We have all done it and we can instantly remember the feeling. We can immediately feel empathy for someone who tells us they stubbed their toe.
Sometimes the worst part is that you know there is a place where you could stub your toe and then you do it anyway. In my house, there is a support that is in the wrong spot when you are making the bed. I have hit it often enough that I now put on shoes to make the bed.
I hate that feeling, don’t you?
But a stubbed toe is not a big deal, right? Everyone does it and you are fine in a few minutes once the initial pain and surprise go away.
That is not necessarily true. You can actually have some problems from a stubbed toe.
It could be that you hit the toe hard enough to break it. This is particularly bad since then it will affect your mobility for a period of time. But there is nothing to do but suffer through it, right? No, you can and should go to your friendly local podiatrist and have your toe checked. Why? If you hit it hard enough to break it, you may have also done some more damage. You should go have it checked. The doctor can give you the best idea on how to set it and take care of it so that you don’t have problems in the future.
The second thing that can happen is that you hit your toe hard enough that it bleeds under the nail. The name for this condition is a subungual hematoma. I realize it will hurt at first but we all know that hurt will usually get better quickly. If you are in pain for longer than an hour, please go to the doctor. It can be that the blood has built up pressure under your nail. That pressure is not going to just go away. The doctor can relieve the pressure and you will feel much better. (Don’t let your buddy with a drill near it.)
By the way, the blood under your nail will not just disappear. As the nail grows out, the spot will grow out with it. You can expect to see that spot for several months. I know, just what you wanted – a reminder of a stubbed toe.
Unfortunately, accidents happen to all of us. (That is how we all know the pain of a stubbed toe.) It is in the follow up that you make the difference. If you think that you broke your toe or you are in pain from the pressure under your toe nail, go see your friendly local podiatrist and have it checked. As I have said before, there is no reason to walk around in pain when the doctor can help you.
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The Foot Blogger Chick
