Bulbous nose is a condition in which the tip of the nose grows in size and becomes round. It is also a synonym for Rhinophyma. Sometimes, bulbous nose is not caused by any disease,  the round shape may be genetic. In this case the tip of the nose has a round appearance, although it does not grow a lot in size. It can be easily treated with rhinoplasty.

The affected nose will keep on growing in size if not timely treated via medicine and surgery. There are numerous misconceptions linked to having a bulbous nose, among which is that drinking alcohol triggers it. There is however no evidence at present to support this.A bulbous nose is more commonly seen in men than in women. Men aged 25-50 are at a greater risk of developing this condition.

Picture of a female with a bulbous nose

Symptoms of Bulbous Nose

Swelling 

Swelling is the first and the most obvious symptom in case of a bulbous nose. Nose starts swelling up and continues to increase in size unless a proper course of treatment is undergone to stop it. The tip of the nose is first part that swells up, till other parts of the nose gets affected too.

Visible Sebaceous oil glands

Sufferers experience the appearance and increasing visibility of sebaceous glands on the skin of nose. Sebaceous glands are usually hidden under the skin, but during this condition they become visible as yellow bumps on the skin that secrete oil. Almost all sebaceous glands become visible on swollen nose and disfigure it with their appearance.

Redness

There will be redness around the skin that is swollen up or getting enlarged. Redness is accompanied by inflammation and pain. This leads to an easy recognition of  problem even in its early stages. Redness subsides when symptoms of rhinophyma subsides.

Thickening of the skin

After a while, swollen skin starts becoming coarse and thickens, skin becomes rough and changes its colour. It can be characterised as very hard, rough and filled with pores. As the condition worsens, the texture of the skin also worsens.

Waxy and yellowish look

The yellowish look of skin is due to many sebaceous glands that are visible on the surface of the nose. Excessive secretion of oil and wax takes place, thereby leading to the waxy appearance of the nose.

Face-flushing

In addition to the nose the central part of face including half of the cheeks become unexpectedly flushed. The flushing effectively means that the area turns red. However, redness does not last long, can happen without any reason and causes the skin to get warm.

Inflammation

Inflammation and pain are very common and early symptoms of a bulbous nose. Skin gets sensitive and any discomfort caused to the nose leads to severe pain. Inflammation is always present but the intensity varies.

What are the Causes of Bulbous Nose?

Bulbous nose pictures

As mentioned above there has been a rather prevalent hypothesis that drinking alcohol is the primary reason people get a bulbous nose. Recent studies on this condition have however shown that there is no link between the two. While there is not much information available as to what exactly causes bulbous nose, it is acknowledged to develop as a severe form of Rosacea. That is, the redness of nose is caused by the dilation of capillaries on tip of the nose. This leads to a slow atrophy of upper layers of tip and sides of the nose. Due to dilation of capillaries at the tip of nose, blood flow there increases.

Later, due to this increased blood flow leads to the swelling of the whole area. This is followed by an overgrowth of sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands are small glands of skin secreting sebum to keep skin lubricated due to which the skin of mammals are waterproof. Overgrowth of the sebaceous glands is followed by fibroplasia, which is the sudden production of fibrous tissues that occurs while a wound is healing. There are probably even more causes of bulbous nose, and scientists are actively engaged in finding these.

There are a few things that can trigger or increase the symptoms of a bulbous nose such as following:

Excessive consumption of caffeine

If you are among people who have a bulbous nose and also love to indulge in hot, brewed coffee every morning, you might want to rethink that. This is because hot beverages like coffee can trigger even more grievous symptoms of a bulbous nose.

Sun

Exposure to the sun is very bad for people suffering from this condition. Excessive heat and harmful ultraviolet rays can worsen redness and inflammation of nose. Since skin in this area is very sensitive, it might even get sunburnt.

Temperature changes

If you live in a very warm climate and suddenly move to a freezing, cold climate, this can trigger symptoms of a bulbous nose. Normal temperature changes do not appear to have any effects, but only the extreme ones.

Spicy foods 

Spicy foods are responsible for increasing blood circulation in various parts of the body, including your nose. People suffering from bulbous nose already have a higher blood circulation and any increase in it can easily be damaging.

Alcohol

Alcohol does not cause a bulbous nose, but consuming an excessive amount of alcohol is surely responsible for increasing symptoms of the condition like flushing and redness in the nose.

Exercise

Although exercising is not bad if you have a bulbous nose, consistently doing it at a very high rate and in hot temperatures can cause harm, especially to your sensitive nose. Also, kindly remember that excessive heat of any sort is bad if you have a bulbous nose.

Blood thinners

People suffering from a bulbous nose should avoid blood thinners, as they can cause dilation of blood vessels and hence increase blood flow to the nose.

Other causes of Bulbous nose:

Genetics

In the case of a bulbous nose that happens due to genetics, nothing else but bad genes are responsible for it. People who are born with a round nose come under this category. The tip of the nose is round and remains as such for the most part of their lives if not reconstructed. Apart from a bad physical appearance it does not normally have any harmful effect.

Aging

Aging is another cause of a bulbous nose. With increasing age, skin around the nose becomes loose and weak. This leads to a widening of nasal bridge and tip of the nose, which gives an appearance of a bulbous nose.

Bulbous nose Reduction

Correction of Bulbous nose – Rhinoplasty before and after pictures

A bulbous nose can be reduced either by medicine or by surgery depending on severity of the problem. If this condition gets diagnosed in its early stages it can be effectively treated with medication. But, if the condition is not treated on time surgical intervention is recommended. Surgery done can be rhinoplasty, Cryotherapy, Radiofrequency ablation,Electrosurgery, or Tangential excision.

Can you fix Bulbous nose Naturally?

If the cause of the bulbous nose is detected in its early stages, it can be fixed or subsided naturally. Cost of surgery will be very high and not all people can afford it. Therefore, doing the following things can help you get rid of or at least hides appearance of a bulbous nose.

• Makeup – Makeup is a wonderful, effective and the cheapest way to avoid high surgery costs in addition to that it also disguise the appearance of a genetic bulbous nose. The bulbous nose caused by aging can be easily hidden with the help of makeup. Nose contouring can also be easily done to give a definite shape to the nose.
• Sea buckthorn oil – Sea buckthorn oil is used in the case of a bulbous nose caused by rosacea. This oil has some anti-inflammatory properties that can largely subside inflammation and provide instant relief.
• Evening Primrose oil – This oil is very helpful for reducing a bulbous nose attributed to rosacea. It also promotes secretion of prostaglandins that are helpful in reducing inflammation, and are also responsible for constriction of dilated capillaries.

Treatment

There are either medicinal or surgical treatments available for successful resolution of this condition. First step in treating a bulbous nose is to assess the cause of it. Usually, a doctor is consulted, an examination performed and a biopsy is done to determine the cause beyond doubt.

The following courses of treatment can be performed:

Medicinal

Oral doses of antibiotics are given in the case of rhinophyma. These help in reducing redness and inflammation. Antibiotics including erythromycin, tetracycline, and minocycline can be taken to control this condition. For swelling, some topical medicines like benzoyl peroxide, tretinoin or gels and cream of metronidazole can be used. Oral capsules like isotretinoin are also taken to prevent excessive production of oil.

Non-surgical treatment

in some cases injectable rhinoplasty is done as a correction without surgery. This is done at around half of the surgical cost and is very effective. Another method is dermabrasion, in which a small rolling tool is used to remove the top layer of the skin.

Surgery

Surgical treatment that are usually performed include traditional surgery with scalpels to reshape the nose. A laser resurfacing can also be done with an argon laser to remove the outgrowth of tissues. Cryosurgery is sometimes recommended. This is performed by subjecting the affected area to very cold temperatures and is a painless method of removing abnormal tissue growth from the nose. Electro-surgery is another type of surgery that is done with an electric current of high frequency that destroys the unwanted tissues of the nose and restores it to its original shape.

Pain in the chest while breathing is a condition that happens when a person experiences slightly to intense pain in the chest area when breathing in. Pain can be anywhere in the upper abdominal area. This is usually very alarming because chest pain is associated with heart attacks, but pain on breathing does not relate to cardiac problems. Chest pain while breathing is usually due to some problem in the lung or the esophagus or a muscle of that area.

Symptoms

The symptoms associated with the pain in the chest while breathing in are as follows:

Pain

Pain in the chest is the first alarming symptom. Whenever a person takes a long deep breath there is a certain amount of discomfort and a sharp pain in left or right side of the chest area. Pain may sometimes be very mild and in some cases, pain will be extremely severe. Pain might be short-lived or continue for a longer period of time.The pains that come back, again and again, need to be given immediate medical attention. They can indicate some major underlying problems. Some people also face headaches and pain in the upper abdominal area when bending or after exercising. A severe chest pain that does not go away might be the cause of a cardiac problem or an injury in the chest muscles and should be treated immediately to avoid any further complications.

Breathlessness

A person in most cases faces difficulties in breathing. When the person takes deep breaths, experiences sharp pain in the chest region. This leads to breathlessness. There is a lesser inflow of oxygen into the body because of this phenomenon. Usually, when a person has a chest infection or cough or cold, this situation occurs.

Fatigue

Fatigue may be due to pain in the chest or due to the other problems. Sometime in case of tuberculosis or pneumonia, a person feels excessively tired along with recurring chest pain every time they breathe. They might also get fever and chills. Fever is usually recurrent and comes back again after some time. Fever usually starts with chills in the whole body and as soon as the fever subsides, the body normalizes.

Dizziness

Since the person is unable to breathe properly, due to lack of oxygen the person feels dizzy and is unable to perform his daily chores properly.

Problem when swallowing

Many people face problems in swallowing the food and the process is very painful.

Causes of Chest Pain when Breathing in

There can be numerous causes of the pain in the chest while breathing. Some of the most common ones are chest infections or asthma. Simple things like running and heartburn can also cause chest pain while breathing. Although these are just momentary and goes away in a little while.

Some of the other reasons that might be the cause of pain in the chest when breathing are:

Pleurisy

This conditions occurs when the tissues in the inner wall of the lungs rub together. This usually happens when a person breathe. If these tissues get infected or inflamed, it causes a lot of pain while rubbing. In general cases, the tissues are satiny and do not pain while rubbing. Only when tissues get swollen and irritated, there is a sharp pain in chest area. Although this is not that common and can be treated easily with medicines now a days,if  not treated properly, it might lead to death.

Cold

Cold, cough and chest infections can be the reason for chest pain while breathing. While coughing bronchitis gets irritated and inflamed. During winters after exercising a person might feel a slight pain in the chest. This is due to the cold air that has entered the lungs making them dry and cause irritation. Chest infection is another reason for the pain in chest when breathing. The bacteria causing the chest infections, also cause irritation in the lining of the lungs leading to pain while breathing.

Bronchitis

This is another lung related disease that can be the reason behind inflammation and pain in the chest while breathing. This causes the inflammation of the bronchioles and bronchi of the lungs. The other symptoms of this disease are cough and shortness of breath. This disease can last for about two months and its effect can be lessened by taking in medicines. If not treated and cared for, the disease can cause permanent damage to the lungs.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is another condition of the lungs that affects the alveoli. It causes the inflammation of the alveoli and pain in the chest while breathing.Other symptoms of this disease includes dry cough, fever, chills, difficulty in breathing and recurrent chest pains. It is caused by the viral or bacterial infection and can be of various types. It needs immediate medical assistance if diagnosed.

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a lung disease caused by bacteria. It affects lungs and sometimes other parts of the body. In many cases, the symptoms may remain hidden for a long period of time but when they do come out they are mostly severe. The classic symptoms may include constant coughing, fever, waking up sweaty in the morning and blood in the sputum.

Muscles or rib damage

Any injury to the muscle or the ribs of the chest can also lead to constant pain in the chest while breathing. When the person breathes, lungs get contracted and expand. This contraction and expansion lead to a movement in the injured muscle or the area around the rib. The movement causes even more pain and inflammation in the area.

Pulmonary Embolism

Pulmonary embolism is a condition where blood clots and results in blockage of pulmonary artery. These clots can also travel to the lungs and get stuck there. If the blockage is very large, the conditions can be life threatening, So preventive measures should be taken immediately. A person feels chest pain while breathing when suffering from this condition.

Pneumothorax

This is a condition that happens when the air gets stuck in the pleural cavity of the lungs. Lungs may sometimes collapse on one side and cause pain in the chest when breathing. A chest x-ray is required to actually identify this condition and it can be easily treated with medical procedures.

Asthma

Asthma is a type of bronchitis and is of acute type. This is characterized by inflammation of bronchi. There will be chest pain and difficulty in breathing in addition to coughing. This is usually due to a viral infection and the passage of air in the lungs gets more sensitive.

Treatment

The treatment of pain in the chest when breathing involves the treatment of the underlying causes. The following things can be done:

Diagnosis

First step to treat any condition is to find out what is causing it. If the chest pain is momentary and happens only once in a while, it is not something serious and can be ignored. But if it continues for a longer time and is accompanied by constant coughing, difficulty in breathing, dizziness, vomiting and fever, medical attention should be sought. Doctor may ask to undergo few tests and an x-ray of the chest area to accurately determine cause of the problem. He will then suggest you proper medication and treatment for the disease.

Medication

In case of bacterial and viral infections in lungs, antibiotics are prescribed by doctor. In other cases, the medicines for the disease that has been causing pain in chest when breathing are given. For pregnant women, medicines may differ so informing the doctor about your health conditions is important.

Operative procedures

Some people need to get operations done in order to treat the conditions causing  chest pain. Some cases like an injury in the rib require operations in order to fix the deformity.

Others

Other reasons like cold and cough or heavy breathing during exercising that cause chest pain can either be avoided or the person can take rest for a while to let the pain subside, in these conditions pain usually goes away in an hour.

Should I be concerned?

• If chest pain happens only once or twice, then it should not concern you at all. This can just be due to overexertion of lungs or breathing in too deep. But if the pain continues or increases and comes back again and again,this can be a symptom of something really serious,this type of pain should definitely worry you.
• If the pain in the chest area while breathing is accompanied by excessive coughing, blood in sputum, fever, chills, inflammation, difficulty in breathing etc. should be immediately checked by the doctor.
• In the case of small children and pregnant women, this pain should not be avoided at any cost because this might be harmful to their health.
• Undergoing small tests like some blood tests and x-rays is better than suffering the consequences of a big disease.
• In the case of a cough and cold, the counter antibiotics and syrups can help find relief from the pain.

Wrinkled fingertips is a condition in which tips of the fingers gets wrinkles and turn red. This is a very common phenomenon and can happen when the hand is kept in water for a long period of time. But sometimes,  fingers get wrinkled even without being in the water. This is one of the biggest indicators of many underlying diseases.

Symptoms of Wrinkled Fingertips

Symptoms associated with this condition are:

Wrinkles

Picture of Wrinkled fingertips

The first and the most obvious symptom is the formation of wrinkles on the skin. Skin on the fingertips is very sensitive and any small change in the body can affect it. Skin develops many folds and seems to be gathering together.

Tenderness

When Skin starts to wrinkle, it becomes tender and soft to touch. Even small touch on the skin gives a tingling sensation. Skin usually becomes tender when kept in water for a long time. There might be a slight swelling also on and around the fingertip area.

Pain

As already mentioned above, Skin around the fingertips is very sensitive. So when it becomes tender, any touch of brushing causes intense pain. There is also inflammation felt on the fingers. Pain can also be due to swelling of area around the skin.

Redness

Wrinkled fingertips turning red in color

Wrinkled skin turns pinkish red. Either whole finger or tip of the finger looks red and tender. Redness is accompanied with pain and itch. Sometimes, Skin might feel itchy and dry due to dehydration and lack of moisture.

Peeling skin

Wrinkled fingertips causing the skin to peel off

Skin on the fingers gets dried and tender. Dried skin tends to crack, and then peel. Peeling skin causes pain and inflammation in that area. Sometimes skin peels even if it’s not dry. Small blisters form on it and peel off later after exposure to water for a long time.

What do wrinkled fingertips indicate?

Wrinkled fingertips might just be because of the fact that the hands have been kept in water for a long time or it might indicate some big diseases. Wrinkled fingertips are not a disease in itself, it is a symptom of some underlying disease.

Wrinkled fingertips indicates the following:

Lymphedema

The building up or accumulation on some parts of the fingers cause lymphedema. Lymphedema leads to tender and wrinkled fingertips. It can happen just in one hand or both hands.

Parasympathetic Nerve Disorder

Parasympathetic nerve disorder as its name suggests that the disorder of parasympathetic nervous system. This is a very common reason for wrinkled fingertips.

Thyroid

Hyperthyroidism is another reason for wrinkled or pruned fingertips. So excess production of thyroid hormone is indicated by wrinkling of fingertips.

Connective Tissue Disorder

Another cause for wrinkled fingertips is the disorders of connective tissue that is blood. Diseases like scleroderma and lupus are responsible for this condition. So if you have wrinkled fingertips, it might indicate that you have a connective tissue disorder.

Severe Dehydration

If your fingers are wrinkled without being in water, it is a sure shot sign that they are dehydrated to a lot extent. Skin loses its water and moisture to become wrinkled.

What causes wrinkled fingertips?

There are a lot of things that can cause wrinkled fingers. From simple temperature to big diseases like lupus, heart diseases and thyroid can be the reason.

Here is a detailed explanation of the causes of wrinkled fingers:

Dehydration

If you have wrinkles on your fingertips that feel dry and lack in moisture it may be due to dehydration in them. In addition to fingers, even lips, hands, and feet also become dry furthermore  lips can even start to peel causing bleeding in them. All these signs combined indicate that the body is lacking water. Water is very important to maintain the elasticity of skin and if there is no water then skin becomes dull, dry and starts to crack. The condition, however is not permanent and goes back to normal as soon as our body gets rehydrated.

Soaking

Most common reason for having wrinkled fingertips is soaking them in water for an extended period of time. If you have been working in water for a long time or swimming, you might see your fingertips developing these skin folds that are soft to touch and sting a little. When soaked in water, the skin absorbs it specifically dead cells on the upper layer. This area contains a lot of keratin which is a high water absorbent. Similar to the hands, keratin is also responsible for making the nails softer after bathing. This absorption of water in the skin swells it up. Inner layers of skin, however, does not swell and stays the same. The upper layer which is constantly increasing in area finds space to accommodate itself and in doing so gets wrinkled. Also, other reason for fingertips getting wrinkled when kept in water for too long is that, when the brain gives a nervous message to blood vessels to constrict.

Diabetes

Diabetes is also one of the diseases that lead to wrinkled fingertips. Diabetes can have a lot of negative effects on our body. Wrinkles increases levels of glucose in blood. The body increases the urination in order to remove these excess levels of glucose, Then increased urination leads to loss of water and hence dryness in the body.

Lupus

Lupus is a condition in which skin becomes inflamed. In addition to this, there is tingling and numbness in some cases. This is an autoimmune disease, where immune system reacts against cells. In addition to wrinkled fingertips, there are a few other symptoms like swollen glands and redness in fingertips. If all these symptoms happen at one time, doctor should be contacted immediately. There is even numbness and hands might feel excessive cold.

Thyroid

Hypo and hyperthyroidism are both responsible for skin conditions. If you do not have diabetes or dehydration or lupus, then thyroid levels need to be checked. Thyroid is one of the most common disorders in humans and usually goes unnoticed. Apart from wrinkled and peeling fingertips, other symptoms include fluctuation in weight, restlessness, fatigue, anxiety and lack of appetite.

Vitamin deficiency

Deficiency of vitamins B and D are responsible for wrinkled and peeling fingernails in humans. There is also tingling in fingers along with pain and inflammation. So vitamin levels need to be checked. Sometimes during pregnancy, vitamin levels in a woman drop due to various reasons and hence the pregnant ladies should especially get them checked.

Treatment

Treatments for the wrinkled fingertips are as follows:

• Find the cause – First thing to do is to find the reason behind the condition. So doctor will run various tests and enquire about the various other symptoms that you might be facing apart from wrinkled fingertips. He will then come to the conclusion and give you the required treatment.
• Moisturize – Mostly wrinkled fingertips happen due to the dryness of the skin. So, to remove the dryness a good moisturizer should be applied on the hands. Applying moisturizer to hands two to three times a day is beneficial. Reapplication after washing hands is also important. Moisturized hands will never wrinkle or crack.
• Glove treatment – This is an easy to do treatment that would just need a glove and some petroleum jelly. Apply petroleum jelly to the fingers and wear gloves overnight. Petroleum jelly is an excellent moisturizer and keeps dryness at bay. By this, not only wrinkles get reduce by morning, but your hands will feel a lot softer.
• Hydrated – A person should drink at least 6 glasses of water daily. If temperature is hot or you work-out a lot, amount of water should be increased to eight or more glasses. This will keep your body hydrated and save it from the dryness and wrinkled fingertips.

Home remedies

Some home remedies can also be applied in order to treat the wrinkled fingertips like:

Fenugreek

This is very rich in vitamins and minerals. Dissolve a few grounded leaves of fenugreek in water so that you make a paste. Now, apply the paste on your fingers and leave it overnight. Continue this for a week and you will start seeing lesser wrinkles on fingertips.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is an excellent moisturizer and coolant. So apply aloe vera gel on fingertips and leave it for some time. Then wash it off with cold water. You will not only feel that  wrinkles going but your skin will also become soft. It also helps in getting rid of inflammation.

Food

Eating food rich in vitamins and minerals is extremely beneficial in treating wrinkled fingertips in the long run. Apart from healthy food, having an adequate amount of water is also very important. If health is maintained properly, half the diseases get cured by themselves.

Avoid

Avoid smoking and intake of alcohol. Alcohol causes dehydration in our body which in turn causes dryness. If your skin is dry, there will obviously be wrinkling. In addition to alcohol, beverages such as tea and coffee should also be avoided.

Toenails turning blue is a medical condition in which the nails of one’s toes, especially first finger turns blue due to various conditions. Color can be blue to black or purple depending on what is causing it. Our nails are made up of upper hard nail plate layer that is placed on the lower skin. In case of most nail problems, upper nail plate layer gets harmed, but in case of nails turning blue, usually effect will be in lower skin layer. The lower skin turns blue and gives the whole nail a blue appearance. This can happen either due to an injury or lack of blood flow to the nail.

Blue toenails are not very common and are not one of the most prominent toenail problems. Colors of toenails can be an indicator of a lot of things going on in our body. Blue toenails can be an indicator of many underlying issues. If the nail remains blue for an extended period of time, immediate medical assistance should be sought.

Signs and Symptoms of Toenails turning Blue

Signs and symptoms that are associated with the nails turning blue are:

Blue nails

Picture of toenail turning blue in color

First symptom a person starts noticing is the color change in their nails. Color of a normal nail is supposed to be pink. This issue happens when color changes to light blue or dark blue. Nail at first decolorizes and then changes its color.

Breathlessness

In most cases, lack of oxygen is the reason for the toenails turning blue. So, if your body does not get enough oxygen, normal body functions start getting affected. Oxygen is main component in production of energy in our body. If a person is unable to breathe properly and might even feel dizziness because of this. Breathlessness can also lead a person to faint or feel nauseous. Weakness also happens due to lack of oxygen in the body.

Pain

In some cases, there is a mild to severe pain in blue fingernail. Toenails might turn blue due to some injury. If this is the case, then that area will have constant pain and inflammation. When touched, the area might feel warm and tender. In other cases, there is a pain in the toe while touching it. Mostly the biggest toe gets affected and turns blue. If pain and numbness do not go away with time, immediate medical assistance should be sought.

Numbness

In many cases, toenails that have turned blue also turn numb. Numbness is lack of any sensation in the feet. A person feels nothing while moving or walking. Sometimes whole leg becomes numb and a person even finds it difficult to walk. This usually happens in colder temperatures. Numbness is sometimes followed by pain and a tingling sensation in whole feet or just in the toe area.

Cold feet

Sometimes, feet suddenly turn ice cold in these cases, in addition to the numbness,feet turn unnaturally cold. They even start getting stiffer. Numbness and cold feet are two conditions that go hand in hand. Coldness of the feet can be due to the lack of blood flow or the lack of oxygen in the body. Blood helps regulate the temperature of a human body and if  blood flow to an organ stops, then that area turns cold.

Swelling

In most cases of injury, there is a swelling on the toenail. Sometimes whole leg swells up. Toenail is an essential component of a person’s feet. So any issue with it affects the whole feet equally. Swollen areas pain on touching and these is a constant inflammation. A person finds it difficult to walk or run. If swelling prevails, getting it checked by the doctor.

Causes for your Toenails turning Blue

Blue toenails

There can be a lot of causes for toenails turning blue. Some of them are as follows:

Argyria or Silver poisoning

Argyria or silver poisoning is a condition in which a person’s body reacts to excessive exposure to silver and its compounds. This usually makes whole body turn blue including the toenails. Argyria is of two types local and general. Local Argyria only affects a certain part of the body that has been exposed to the excess silver and its compounds whereas in the general one, whole body is affected. This is usually caused due to prolonged exposure or ingestion of excess colloidal silver.

Other symptoms apart from blue body parts are fever and gastrointestinal problems:

Lack of Oxygen

Lack of oxygen is the biggest reason in the fingernails turning blue. Lack of oxygen can be due to a lot or reasons. Sometimes after running or doing strenuous workouts toenails of people turn blue for some time, this is due to lack of oxygen.

Lung disease causing breathing problems

Lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, and other respiratory disorders lead to the constriction of oxygen flow in the body. This lack of oxygen is mostly responsible for the toenails turning blue. Fingernails and toenails of people with respiratory problems are usually blue due to under oxygenated blood flow to them.

High levels of hemoglobin

In many cases, high levels of hemoglobin are also responsible for turning toenails blue. As already mentioned, skin beneath the toenail is responsible for change in its color. So anytime color of blood changes the color of the toenail.

Cold Temperature

When cold weather starts many people experience blue toenails. This is due to constriction in the blood flow in blood vessels. Cold temperature thickens the blood and the transportation of the blood is affected. Keeping the feet in the hot water is helpful.

Constrictions

Wearing tight socks or shoes can also lead to toenails turning blue. During pregnancy many women find their toenails turn blue this is partially due to constrictions caused due to swelling up of the toes and partly due to hypertension.

Wilson’s disease

Wilson’s disease is an autoimmune disorder caused due to exposure of excessive copper into the body. If a person ingest more copper than is required by body, this happens. Nails turn blue at the base and the upper parts decolorizes. This disease is typically treated with some dietary changes and lessening the copper intake through food.

Raynaud’s Disease

Raynaud’s disease is a condition in which the small arteries carrying blood to fingers and toes gets narrowed and stops circulating blood to the specific areas. This usually happens due to stress or cold temperatures. Low blood flow to these areas causes nails to turn blue. This disease is most common in women than in men. This disease is not very serious and can be treated easily.

Should you be worried?

In most cases, toenails turning blue should not worry you that much. But if  toenails remain blue for a long time and the conditions like toenails turning blue and falling off happens, medical assistance is needed. Blueness in the toenails should go within a day or two. anything that exceeds this time period should be checked. You might be suffering from a deadly lung disease or might have poisoned yourself with silver.

Treatment

Toenails may turn blue from cold weather, running, during pregnancy and accompany with pain or no pain

Treatment for the fingernails turning blue is usually done using home remedies and small changes in lifestyle.

The following things can be done:

Determine the issue

If toenail has been blue for a long period of time, it is advisable to get it checked with the doctor. Doctor will enquire about the other problems associated with the change in color of your toenail and run a few tests to accurately determines cause of the condition. If there are any lung disease tests like x-rays also need to be done. With proper information in hand, he will accurately provide you with the treatment and medicines accordingly.

Soak in warm water

If feet are cold and nails have turned blue, this is most definitely due to cold temperature. Take a tub of warm water and soak your feet in it for about 15 to 20 minutes. This will normalize the blood flow in the body and the nails will turn back to their normal shade. You can alternatively take a warm shower to normalize the full body temperature.

Shoes

Wearing tight fitted shoes or socks that can constrict the flow of  blood  feet, then this is one of the reasons for blue fingernails. So wearing shoes too tight for your feet should be avoided especially in case of workout shoes because space for the leg to move is very important. Similarly, socks that have very tight elastic bands should be avoided as they also block the blood flow to the legs.

Balanced Diet

Eating a well-balanced diet that is rich in nutrients is very important in maintaining a healthy blood flow in the body. Since blood flow is the biggest reason for the fingernails turning blue. A good diet is very important.

Lump on the inner thigh is a condition in which the skin on inner thigh roughens and forms either large or small bumps. These bumps can be of any size small or large and of any texture soft or hard. They can consist of either a single lump or be a cluster of lumps depending on their cause. There are a lot of conditions that can cause lumps on inner thigh, and most of these are normally harmless. In most cases of lump on inner thigh, it is not a very serious issue and goes away on its own with time.

Symptoms of Inner thigh lumps

• Swelling
• Redness
• Fluid-filled blisters
• Bumps
• Pain and inflammation
• Tenderness
• Muscle weakness
• Bleeding
• Inability to move the legs
• Fever
• Cold feet
• Loss of sensation

What Can Cause Lump on the Inner thigh?

Cyst

Cystic lump on inner thigh

A cyst is basically a collection of some dead cells and fluids usually present under the skin, however they are usually not painful and are yellow in color. They move under the skin when they are touched and are usually harmless. They can be a very common cause of lumps on the inner thigh.

Lymph Node Infection

The lymph nodes are present near the groin in both males and females. They usually get swollen when our body is attacked by external microorganisms or when there is some trauma or injury to various body parts. Even though they get healed when the underlying cause is treated, they can sometimes be very serious, especially in the case of cancer or HIV.

Malignant Tumor

Malignant tumors are cancerous and uncontrollable growth of cells under the skin. They a very rare but possible cause of lumps on the inner thigh. Tumor is not normally painful and doesn’t hurt when touched. Its main feature is that it keeps growing uncontrollably and can be treated in a short period.

Abscess and boils

An abscess is a lump on the inner thigh that is very painful and filled with a pus-like fluid that needs to be drained. They are usually caused by an infection and in most cases are red, round and inflamed. Similarly, boils are also pus-filled raised bumps onf inner part of the thigh.

Warts

Picture of warts on inner thigh

Warts are another very common cause of lumps on the inner thigh. A wart is a dry, scaly and red bump of skin on the leg or any other part of the body. They usually keep growing in size and are caused by a viral infection. They need to be frozen in order to be treated.

Benign tumor

Benign tumors are an abnormal cell growth that stop growing after a period of time. They are not cancerous but do cause lumps on the thigh. These lumps are usually under the skin and might be a little painful when touched. They should be removed immediately before they turn malignant.

STD

Itchy bumps on inner thighs – STD?

Sexually transmitted diseases like herpes, HIV, gonorrhea etc. are another reason for the formation of lumps on the inner thigh. These look like pimples and are painful in almost all cases.

Friction or bruising

Physical activities like running or cycling can lead to bumps on the inner thigh from the friction of the skin rubbing together over long periods. Other activities like shaving or sometimes bruising can also lead to these small or large lumps. The lumps can be found on any part of the inner thigh starting from above the knee to near the groin.

Treatment

The various treatment procedures undertaken by medical professionals to treat lumps on the inner thigh are:

• Antibiotics – In most cases, lumps on the inner thigh are caused by viral, bacterial or fungal infections. So, oral antibiotics are normally prescribed by doctors in addition to other treatments. Antibiotics are given for two main reasons, one reason is to kill harmful microbes already present in the body and the other is to avoid any further growth of the microbes in the body.
• Antiviral Medication and Freezing of warts – Antiviral medicines are given in cases where it has been confirmed that the condition was caused by viruses. In order to treat warts doctors normally give antiviral medication and might also decide to freeze the warts. The freezing stops any further growth and enable the easy surgical removal of warts.
• Antibacterial and Antifungal creams – In cases of lumps on the inner thigh especially near the groin that might be caused by bacterial or fungal infections and are usually characterized by small bumps that look like pimples, creams, and lotions are given by the physician in order to treat them. These creams kill the microorganisms that causes malady and also keep the skin moisturized.
• Surgery – Surgery is done in the case of a tumor or when the lump has become really big and needs to be drained. For benign tumors, lumps should not be left untreated and surgery should be done for its removal as soon as possible. Surgery is also done if the pus cannot be drained out of the lump by other non-surgical techniques. This is very rare and happens only in a few cases.
• Draining – The pus from the lumps is drained with the help of a syringe by a trained medical professional, when the lump becomes very big and its cap fail to appear, a manual draining has to be done.
• Liposuction – When there is an accumulation of extra fat in the tissues, a syringe is used to suck out the fat in order to let the bumps subside on their own.
• Treatment of cancer – In the case of a malignant tumor that is cancerous a proper course of treatment for cancer is carried out to remove the lumps.

Prevention

Small, red itchy bumps on inner thighs

The appearance of lumps on inner thigh can be easily prevented. Prevention has always been better than cure. Hence, we give you some preventive measures to take in order to avoid getting lumps on the inner thigh:

Stay clean

Cleanliness is very first step and can save you from a lot of diseases. If a person is dirty a lot of unwanted bacteria, fungus, and viruses build up in the body and cause different types of infections. Also, an unhygienic body makes a person lazy and inefficient. Keeping the inner thigh area clean is very important for both male and female. In the case of females, there is regular secretion of fluids from the vaginal area, therefore, keeping the area clean is very important. Wearing clean clothes and maintaining excellent personal hygiene can save you from getting lumps on the inner thigh.

Protected sex 

Many lumps on the inner thigh are caused by STDs like herpes. These bumps are usually present near groin area and looks like pimples. Having unprotected sex is the biggest cause of sexually transmitted diseases. So, always ensure that you use a condom every time you are having sexual intercourse. Also, get your body checked regularly for any kind of sexually transmitted infections. These can be easily treated in the initial stages and when not treated on time can become deadly.

Exercise

Fat cells accumulate to forms bumps on the inner thigh. So, it’s important keep the body fit by exercising regularly to get rid of fat. These fat can also cause pus-filled bumps on the inner thigh that are extremely painful. Take up any physical activity that you love and do it for at least 30 minutes daily. This will help make your body healthy and your mind very productive.

Wear breathable clothes

Wearing breathable clothing is very important in order to  avoid the rashes and bumps caused by sweat. During summer, our body sweats excessively and if a person is wearing tight-fitted clothes or clothes that are made up of non-breathable fabrics, then the sweat cannot be adequately drained out of the body. This accumulated sweat becomes an excellent habitat for microbes to dwell and cause infections. Wear cotton clothing in summers to avoid this situation.

Home Remedies

Here are some remedies that you can try at home to treat lump on the inner thigh, they are as follows:

Warm Compress

For the lumps that are painful and have liquids in them, warm compresses are the best treatment for eliminating pain and forcing the swelling to subside. Take some warm water in a container and with the help of a towel or a thick cloth directly apply it on the affected area. This will help you get rid of the redness, pain, and inflammation.

Tea Tree oil

Tea tree oil is an excellent remedy for conditions like boils and abscesses, especially near groins. This is because it has some amazing antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Just a small amount of tea tree oil will not only help you get rid of the lumps, but will also protect the area from any further infection. It is also very good for the skin and does not leave any mark once after these lumps are healed. Put some tea tree oil on a cotton swab and apply it directly on the affected area. In addition to this, you can also mix it with some warm water and lavender and apply it as a compress on the affected area.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a wonder spice that has lots of benefits. It is an excellent antiseptic and anti-inflammatory substance. The bumps on the inner thigh which are formed from rubbing together or the ones near the groin can be easily healed by turmeric. It helps relieve the pain and prevents any further infections. A paste of turmeric powder in water or milk can be made. This paste needs to be applied on the skin and left there for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Repeating this a few times every day will help the boil mature and burst. Now, you can easily drain the pus. You can also mix a half teaspoon of turmeric in warm milk and drink the mixture daily. It will provide some relief from the inflammation and pain.