Has your toe been injured recently from playing sports, running, jogging, or being hit by a heavy object? If so, the first symptom that will most likely appear is bruising, and even if it's bothersome, there are actually a few tips you can apply to speed up the bruise recovery process. In the few days following the injury, focus on reducing swelling and pain. Then, also use various natural remedies to speed healing and prevent infection, especially if bruises appear behind the nails. If the condition of the toe does not improve after a few weeks, immediately consult a doctor! Remember, most cases of bruised toe, even if it's a broken toe, will heal on its own in a maximum of 6 weeks, although the exact duration will depend on the severity of the injury.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Relieves Pain and Swelling
Step 1. Immediately compress the bruised area with ice cubes
On the day of the injury, immediately compress the bruised toe with an ice cube for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, rest your toes, and come back 20 minutes later. This method is effective in reducing swelling and is able to contract damaged blood vessels so that the bruise does not widen.
- Don't have a cold compress? Please use a bag of frozen vegetables that have been first wrapped with a clean towel, or use a clean cloth that has been soaked in ice water.
- Another option is to soak your feet in a bucket of ice water.
Tip: Most bruises will fade and heal on their own after 2-3 weeks. Therefore, monitor the condition of bruising and immediately see a doctor if the bruising does not go away or even worsens after 2-3 weeks.
Step 2. Elevate your toes to reduce blood flow to the bruised area
Sit or lie down in a comfortable place, then raise your legs until they are higher than your heart. This method is effective in reducing pressure on the bruised area and minimizing the risk of discoloration of the toe.
For example, you can lie on the couch and support your feet with a few pillows so that they are higher than your heart
Step 3. Do not expose the bruise to heat for 2-3 days
Because extreme heat can make swelling worse, don't take hot baths or baths, or apply warm compresses to the bruised area, for at least 2-3 days after the injury.
If the bruising is due to bleeding into the injured toe, applying heat may also make the bleeding worse
Step 4. Choose acetaminophen if you need painkillers
Since other types of pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or aspirin, can inhibit the clotting process, it's best to choose a pain reliever that contains only acetaminophen to speed up the healing process of the bruise.
Some examples of pain relievers that contain acetaminophen are Tylenol and Excedrin
Step 5. Cover the bruised finger with the healthy finger beside it
This method can be used to maintain the stability of a bruised finger. First, place a cotton swab between the two fingers, then bandage the finger with adhesive or medical tape to keep the bruised finger stable. Change the cotton swab and bandage every day until the swelling subsides.
Cotton can help absorb moisture between the two glued fingers
Method 2 of 2: Speeding Up the Healing Process
Step 1. Limit physical activity and pressure to the foot for several days after the injury
In other words, avoid any athletic activity until the bruising begins to disappear. Also, don't apply any pressure to the bruised area, such as by walking or standing for too long.
- After the swelling begins to subside, please return to walking or doing other activities as usual.
- Do not wear shoes that are too tight during the recovery process to reduce pressure on the injured area. Instead, wear shoes that are a little looser in size or loosen the laces to make them feel more comfortable when worn.
Step 2. Apply a warm compress to the bruised area after 2-3 days
A warm compress can help open up healthy blood vessels and increase blood flow to the bruised area to speed up the healing process. The trick, simply compress the toes for 15 minutes, about 3 times a day.
In fact, a warm compress is a way to apply heat to your body. In other words, there are many things you can do, such as compressing your body with warm water, a pad that can be heated in a microwave, a hot water bottle, or an electric warm pad
Step 3. Rub a medicine, ointment, or natural oil onto the bruise to speed up the healing process
Try applying a little arnica ointment, crushed parsley, St. oil. John's Wort, mustard oil, turmeric paste, or vitamin K cream to the bruised area, 2-3 times a day. All of them are natural substances that are effective for reducing inflammation and swelling, improving blood circulation, and speeding up the healing process of bruises.
- These natural remedies can be applied directly to the bruises that appear on the nails, or to the skin behind them.
- Arnica may be able to help speed up the healing process of the bruise.
Step 4. Soak feet in saline solution daily to prevent bruises from becoming infected
The trick, just mix 1 tbsp. table salt with warm water. Then, soak your feet 3 times a day in the solution, for 10 minutes each, to prevent bruising behind the nails from getting infected.
This method can be omitted if the bruise does not appear behind the nail. Most likely, the bruise that appears behind the nail will also be injured, so it must be really well maintained
Step 5. Trim the toenail if a bruise appears behind it
Trimming your nails while you have a bruise can speed up the healing process for the bruise. In addition, doing so can prevent injury and irritation from happening again in the future.
It's best to trim your nails straight rather than round to prevent ingrown toenails
Warning: Injured toenails are very susceptible to fungal infections. Therefore, always monitor the condition of the nails and see a doctor if the nails start to separate from the skin behind them, or experience discoloration after the bruise has healed.
Step 6. Increase consumption of vitamin C and vitamin K.
Both can reduce the body's risk of bruising and speed up the healing process of bruises that have already appeared. The trick, try to eat more citrus fruits and peppers to increase the intake of vitamin C in the body, and consume more vegetables such as broccoli and green leafy vegetables to increase the intake of vitamin K in the body.
- The body can also get more vitamins by taking a multivitamin or supplement every day.
- Flavonoids can also support the performance of vitamin C in the body, which you can easily get from carrots, citrus fruits, and apricots.
Step 7. See a doctor if the bruise on the toe doesn't heal after 2 weeks
Generally, pain and swelling will subside on their own after a few days or 1 week, and bruising should not last for more than 2 weeks. Therefore, if your symptoms last longer and the recovery process is slower than normal, see a doctor immediately.
- Although injuries to toes can heal on their own as long as they are treated properly, you should see a doctor if your finger looks bent so that it can be straightened again by expert medical personnel.
- During the recovery process, see a doctor if your feet suddenly tingle, numb, or feel more painful and swollen in the first 2 weeks.
Tips
- Eating healthy foods will actually reduce the possibility of the body to experience bruising. Therefore, eat as much vegetables and fruit as possible, especially citrus fruits and green leafy vegetables which are rich in vitamin C and vitamin K.
- If the bruise was caused by an injury from running, jogging, or another athletic activity, try buying special sports shoes that fit perfectly to your foot.
- If professional responsibilities make your feet vulnerable to heavy objects, don't forget to wear hard protective shoes, such as steel boots.
Warning
- In fact, injuries to toenails are very susceptible to fungal infections. Therefore, focus on treating bruises behind the toenails to prevent these risks from occurring.
- Don't take pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin if you want to speed up the healing process for your bruise.
- Don't smoke if you want to speed up the healing process of your bruise! In fact, smoking can slow down your healing process, you know.
- Check with your doctor if the bruising doesn't go away or even gets worse after 2-3 weeks.
