Odd question about toe nails ....

[mistymeana]

does anyone else have problems with their toe nails growing as if they've been knocked and damaged? I've only previously had this happen to me once after I hurt my foot but I've now stated getting it on both feet and I can't recall any accidental damage that would account for it.

[Hidden]

This is just a very vague shot in the dark Misty but have you thought of Psoriatic Arthritis I wonder? I don't really know otherwise. Tilda x

[earthwitch]

Snap, tilda - I was going to say that nail deformity is incredibly common with spondyloarthritis, and in particular with PsA. Make sure you tell your rheumatologist about it, and take photos when its at its worst to show them.

[mistymeana]

Thanks guys. I thought you generally had psoriasis with that? Mum and brother suffer with it but not me - I got eczema instead x

[fastball in reply to mistymeana]

i hav PSA but dont have Psoriasis, i was diagnosed yrs ago and was told it might come later. chris

[Hidden]

I think eczema is connected to these conditions too somehow but its just a non scientific hunch. You don't have to have psoriasis to get PsA and it can develop later too. Like the other spondies its hereditary (this hasn't been proven with RA and the autoimmune diseases though) so, as Earthwitch says its worth looking into in your situation Misty. Xx

[Wolfdancer]

Make sure that your shoes are giving you plenty of room for the toes to wiggle around in. I had this last year and the podiatrist said that my shoes were too tight. Apparently its quite common with RA .

[oldtimer]

It's possible for the inflammation and swelling of the joints to restrict the blood supply to the nail bed, so the results would be the same as physical damage to the nail bed by injury.

And when our feet are swollen because of a flare, there is less room in our shoes, so pressure on the nails can be a factor as well.