A common issue among runners and athletes is having bruised toes: the injured toenail on your feet. It often seems invisible to them, but others will see it as a huge injury. The skin is blue, purple, or red in color, with swelling around the toe or sometimes into your feet. Youll feel intense pain either in your foot or ankle.

Are there any steps to follow for the bruised toes after running? If the runners ignore it in the long term, it may cause serious injuries afterward. Here, we have discussed how to prevent and treat your wound and what things can cause this issue.

Alt Text: bruised-toes-after-running

Causes Of Bruised Toes

The bruised toenail is generally caused by collecting blood under the nail, causing it to turn black, purple, or red. However, various types of bruised toes are caused by reasons caused, as follows:

Alt Text: causes-of-bruised-toes

Subungual Hematoma

It looks like a black toenail because of bleeding under the nail. It usually happens when your toenail gets crushed accidentally. The other causes may include:

• Slamming your finger in a car door or house door
• Hit your toe with a hard object like a hammer
• Wearing tight-fitting shoes
• Drop a heavy thing on your toe

These are the conditions that can cause Subungual Hematoma or black toenails. But if you havent experienced such conditions but still have a dark toenail, we recommend seeing your doctor.

Turf Toe From Running

Turf toe is a common injury among American football players that occurs when the soft tissues in the joint are stretched or torn. It is the type of bruised toenail after running caused by sudden movement with the heel off the ground.

According to Foot Health Facts, turf toe is a big toe pain after running during sports activities. It can also be caused by repeated jamming or pushing the toes while running. The symptoms started to appear just after the injury and grew with time. These include pain, swelling, and bruises.

Fracture

In the extreme conditions, a fracture can cause a bruised toe after running. During sports activities, if you run even after a fracture, you may get worse. The symptoms include:

• Inability to bend the toe
• Unable to walk on your feet
• Bruising or discoloration around or under toenail

If you are facing any fracture around your toe, it is recommended to avoid running or walking too much.

Fungal Infection

Fungal infections are one of the reasons for having bruised toes after running. You wont realize that a fungal infection will come and start discoloring your toenail. The results will be unhealthy, and youll feel uncomfortable both mentally and emotionally. When the fungal infection spreads on the toenail, it turns them yellow, blue, green, purple, brown, and black.

Depending on the type of fungus that causes infection, the color may vary for the bruised toenail. We recommend seeing a doctor immediately if you feel like having a fungal infection. This infection occurs under the nail tissues and starts damaging the cells. Sometimes, the toenails emit a foul smell and debris is collected under the thick nail.

Pressure

It is the most common reason for bruised toes after running, which causes swelling and pain. You need rest and treatment if you are a runner and a heavy object falls on your toe. If you keep running with such a toenail, it will get bruised and worsen.

The symptoms include sudden pain, discoloration, and swelling. If you keep ignoring it, youll have a toenail with discharge. We recommend visiting your doctor if you experience pressure on your toenail, especially if you are a runner or athlete.

Preventing Sore Toes From Running

We commonly find sore toes in runners who run at a higher intensity than those who run at a simple pace. So, they need preventive measures to avoid bruised toes after running. You can practice the following things to prevent injury:

Alt Text: preventing-sore-toes-from-running

Use Right Shoes

The best way of preventing a bruised toe is by using the right shoes. The proper shoe has a fit size and isnt too tight to cause pain in the toenails. Choose shoes with a half-inch gap between the shoe's big toe and the end.

Try Silicone Toe Pads

Toe pads can help prevent pressure that causes bruised toes afterward. It's just like a soft cushion for your toes. The silicon pads reduce the pain and prevent bruises caused by rubbing toes with the shoes.

Adjust Your Shoe Laces

If you choose perfect shoes, it doesn't mean you are all set. Your feet may slip because of the shoe laces and cause bruises. The best way to avoid this is to use the small holes on the top of your shoes.

Trim Your Toenails

Sometimes, the bruises occur because of the toenails itself. Therefore, it's important to trim them properly from time to time. The less they extend out, the less it will cause friction. So, you won't have bruised toes after running while wearing these pads.

Wear Socks

The best way to prevent moisture is to wear socks that keep your feet dry. These socks prevent moisture and thus avoid slipping feet from the shoes.

How To Treat Bruised Toes After Running?

First, remember that you don't need to worry if the toenail doesn't hurt. There is a possibility of it falling off after some time. In other cases, you must see a doctor who will perform nail trephination. This process involves eliminating the blood from the nail by drilling a hole in it.

To avoid any infection, you must visit the doctor to remove debris and do the bandages. After the treatment, the toenail might fall, but it will grow again. So, if you suffer from bruised toes after running, you need immediate treatment.

Conclusion

You can treat and prevent bruised toes after running, especially if you are an athlete or a runner. Various things can cause this issue that can be resoolved by visiting an expert doctor. By following the preventive measures, youll be able to avoid this injury as much as possible.