Question 1

the upper half of my left thumb on the inside (not around the nail) suddenly turned blue.  what is this?

Accepted Answer

Vein rupture : Did you hit your thumb or bump it, right before? 
Sometimes people can have a small venous malformation from birth. You will need to find a phlebologist who knows how to scan with ultrasound.  Have your primary care refer after exam. www.phlebology.org.

Question 2

i have a purple/blue vertical line going down the middle of my left thumb, from the bottom to the top of the nail. should i be worried?

Accepted Answer

Nail melanoma: Discoloration of the nail can be benign melanonychia, or represent a melanoma skin cancer. 
Hutchinson's sign represents discoloration onto the soft tissue at the proximal nail fold. If the color "bleeds" onto the skin, this can represent a melanoma.
If it is not there is does mean it is not a melanoma however. Always best to  have it evaluated.

Question 3

ive noticed the base of my thumb nails are turning purple/blue, what would cause this? the thumbs havent been injured at all

Accepted Answer

Nail cyanosis??: Could be possible and can be caused by a number of medical conditions some serious some less so.  
https://www.healthline.com/symptom/blue-fingernails

The commonest in a female your age would be raynauds syndrome. Please see your doctor for specific diagnosis and management.

Question 4

caught my thumb in car door 3 months ago, it turned black+blue straight away the nail was not damaged but now its grown away from my nail bed

Accepted Answer

See surgeon: You have a lump under the nail that is from blood under the nail. If it is still liquid a surgeon can poke a hole in the nail to let it out. Otherwise he/she may need to remove all or part of the nail to clean it out

Question 5

smashed thumb in car door last wednesday. cut the skin a little (not enough for stitches) and nail is blue. the skin is a little firm now. is it norma?

Accepted Answer

Normal?: Yes, it is normal after you have smashed your thumb. If you think it is getting better since the injury, just keep going. If not, please see your Primary doctor.

Question 6

good day, i dropped a weight on my thumb. thumb is swolen and the entire nail is blue. when pressing the tip with other finger, goes white and immediately red again. pain has gone down but finger is still slightly painful. nail is sensitive to pressr?

Accepted Answer

Thumb Trauma: Please see your doctor.  If your accident has broken any bones they need to be in place for proper healing.  The nail will likely grow back. Peace and good health.

Question 7

playing basketball.was hit on my left hand thumb from the nail side.thumb has swollen excessively & gone blue.i have taken brufen. not much pain thoug?

Accepted Answer

Contusion,sprain, fx: A blue discoloration usually represents bruising, implying bleeding beneath the skin. Bruising comes from 3 sources with a trauma such as yours- a simple contusion, a ligament sprain or a fracture. If minimal pain, then i would lean towards this being a contusion. Rest, ice and elevate the hand. If improving, only observation is required. If the pain worsens, then an eval. And x-ray would be wise.

Question 8

hand and thumb swollen and blue without injury. what is going on?

Accepted Answer

Raynaud's disease: I need more info, but based on your description you could have a condition called raynaud's disease, especially if that happens after exposure to cold water and/or exposure to cold weather, this is better discussed with your regular physician..

Question 9

i noticed the palm of my hand under my thumb turning blue after a hot bath?

Accepted Answer

Raynauds: Cyanosis or blue discoloration of fingers is a vascular condition that is most common when digits are exposed to cold water or cold environment. Upon exposure,  usually, the fingers get pink-blue-then white. And when rewarmed, the color comes back from white-blue-pink.

Question 10

is it possible to pinch a vein shut? the vein in my thumb was smashed. it is now bright blue, hard an raised. it is making my whole hand tingle.

Accepted Answer

Nah..it ain't so Joe: You caused a nice big BRUISE by whacking the thumb but it's not a vein or anything like that...it's the swelling and accumulation of fluids including blood.  If it's causing tingling in the hand then, you should have it looked at right away. It may need decompression otherwise, you could have nerve damage that's permanent from the accumulated pressure that's not being released. Ice down a  lot.

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Doctor answers about:

Blue thumb nails

A member asked:

The upper half of my left thumb on the inside (not around the nail) suddenly turned blue. what is this?

A member asked:

I have a purple/blue vertical line going down the middle of my left thumb, from the bottom to the top of the nail. should i be worried?

A member asked:

Ive noticed the base of my thumb nails are turning purple/blue, what would cause this? the thumbs havent been injured at all

A member asked:

Caught my thumb in car door 3 months ago, it turned black+blue straight away the nail was not damaged but now its grown away from my nail bed

A member asked:

Smashed thumb in car door last wednesday. cut the skin a little (not enough for stitches) and nail is blue. the skin is a little firm now. is it norma?

A member asked:

Good day, i dropped a weight on my thumb. thumb is swolen and the entire nail is blue. when pressing the tip with other finger, goes white and immediately red again. pain has gone down but finger is still slightly painful. nail is sensitive to pressr?

A member asked:

Playing basketball.was hit on my left hand thumb from the nail side.thumb has swollen excessively & gone blue.i have taken brufen. not much pain thoug?

A member asked:

Hand and thumb swollen and blue without injury. what is going on?

A member asked:

I noticed the palm of my hand under my thumb turning blue after a hot bath?

A member asked:

Is it possible to pinch a vein shut? the vein in my thumb was smashed. it is now bright blue, hard an raised. it is making my whole hand tingle.

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