Facing such a phenomenon when a toe is swollen and hurts in the modern rhythm of life poses a serious problem for a person. Indeed, in connection with this, performing many of the usual daily tasks and worries becomes almost impossible. In addition, your overall health may worsen, and then such an inconspicuous symptom as swelling of the toes will lead to the need for long-term treatment for a more serious disease.
You should not try to relieve the unpleasant sensation on your own by using folk remedies or medications on the advice of friends without medical qualifications. First of all, it is important to contact your therapist, who, after conducting simple research, will provide a referral to a specialist for a more in-depth study of the problem.
There is no such thing as a swollen toe for no reason. If this symptom occurs, you should try to figure out what exactly it is caused by - a domestic injury or an internal illness.
Answering the question “why is your toe swollen” will help you pay attention to factors that not everyone attaches importance to in everyday life:
It is important to pay attention to the listed points in order to avoid discomfort and further complications from injuries.
You shouldn’t think long about what to do if your big toe is swollen and red, and household causes have been ruled out - you need to immediately make an appointment with a doctor. When visiting a medical facility when the big toe is swollen, the patient will be sent for a series of examinations, based on the results of which a diagnosis will be established. The most common diseases that are characterized by a tumor of the toe are:
Arthritis and arthrosis are diseases that affect small joints not only in the legs, but also in the arms. When such a diagnosis is made, as a rule, destructive processes are already underway in the joints. They have three distinct stages:
A good specialist, even without being a great diagnostician, can make the correct diagnosis even at the first examination, so it is important to consult a doctor immediately if alarming symptoms appear.
Therapy involves taking medications that restore joint tissue. Folk remedies will only help relieve swelling or pain, but will not eliminate the cause of the disease.
If your toe is swollen, this may indicate gout, a disease that occurs when the metabolism of a substance such as uric acid is impaired. A related disease - hyperuricemia is characterized by excessive concentrations of this substance.
The symptoms of gout should be known and treated immediately to avoid consequences such as amputation of the big toe.
To treat gout, a set of measures is used to eliminate the accumulation of uric acid in the joint and normalize the metabolic process in the body.
A disease most often diagnosed in older people. Occurs when there is an acute lack of calcium and phosphorus in the body. With osteoporosis, fractures of various bones are common. With such a lesion, any finger can swell and hurt, including the little toe.
To prevent osteoporosis, it is recommended to eat foods rich in vitamin D and calcium, or take these microelements as part of vitamin complexes.
Pathology that occurs when there is an excess of salt in the body. This substance tends to accumulate and cause inflammatory processes. The name of the disease is derived from the joint “bags”, which are called bursae. In the bursae on the toe, excess fluid can accumulate and swell, causing an increase in the temperature of the area.
Panaritium is a phenomenon peculiar to the toes. It occurs as a result of infection in the tissue, and is characterized by the swelling of the big toe, as well as the appearance of an abscess or cyst with ichor inside at the site of infection. To prevent further spread of the infection, seek medical attention immediately.
Felon is treated by opening the abscess, removing its contents and disinfecting the infected area. This procedure must be carried out strictly in a clinical setting.
Swelling of the legs can be one of the symptoms of diabetes, so patients with this diagnosis need to especially carefully monitor the health of their legs. Otherwise, swelling can lead to impaired blood supply to the limbs and their further amputation.
As it became clear from the above, the elimination of such a phenomenon as swelling, edema and soreness of the toe is carried out based on the disease that caused it. In any case, if alarming symptoms occur and recur regularly, you should consult a doctor, and not self-medicate or diagnose yourself.
For prevention, it is advisable to inspect your shoes, get rid of shoes and boots with long pointed toes, and in the future select models that are exactly the size of your feet, made from natural materials, so that your big toe no longer swells.
Moderate physical activity, walks in the fresh air and proper nutrition will also help avoid discomfort.
Minor ailments usually do not bother people . If something hurts for no apparent reason, a person waits for it to go away on its own. Suddenly the toes become swollen for no reason and they hurt. Often a person will not even put his feet in a decoction of burdock. He'll lie down and wait until he lets go and forget about the attack.
Unfortunately, the reasons are different and not always harmless.
About fifty reasons cause pain in the legs and fingers. Pain in the fingers can occur in different places:
Such a source of pain has only one reason for joy - the reason is absolutely clear . When jumping, hitting, or falling, you can easily damage your fingers. Characterized by sharp and acute pain at the site of injury.
If the injury is internal, without wounds, cuts, fractures, and the leg can be stepped on, then cold compresses are used to relieve pain from the bruise.
When a tumor appears, an “iodine mesh” is applied to the skin, a burdock or plantain leaf is tied, and a cold compress is applied. You need to know that finger fractures may not bother a person at first. Only over time the pain does not subside, but increases.
Despite the simplicity of this nuisance, calluses can be extensive and cause great inconvenience. They can break through and create a large wound. Dry calluses have internal spines and are difficult to remove. Calluses cause sharp and sharp pain when walking or applying pressure. There is no pain at rest.
When calluses appear, you need to be especially careful about personal hygiene. Wet calluses are disinfected and covered with an adhesive bandage to prevent infection.
Acute purulent inflammation begins near the nail fold. The pain under the nail is twitching, the area swells and turns red, and pus appears. Swelling forms on the phalanx of the finger. The cause of the onset of panaritium is the penetration of infection.
This is a congenital malformation of the foot. Sometimes flat feet can develop in a healthy person. When walking, a person experiences mild nagging pain in the foot, under the heel and under the toes. Heaviness and weakness appear in the legs. It is easy to determine the presence of flat feet independently by the characteristic shape of the leg.
Narrow, tight, high-heeled shoes deform and bend your toes. You cannot wear such shoes all the time; they are intended for ceremonial exits. Pain and aches in the sole increase over time, but disappear after rest.
Walking or running for long periods of time can cause tiredness and weakness in the legs . But if there is pain in the fingers, then you need to look for a reason for this. Your fingers won't just hurt, they're damaged. If it is difficult to independently determine the cause of the pain, then you should consult a therapist.
Claw toes, hammer toes, hook toes, crossed toes, hallux valgus. Abnormally positioned toes deform the foot. They bulge, causing painful calluses to form. This not only causes inconvenience and suffering, but also leads to arthrosis and bursitis. Typically, a person has a hereditary predisposition to crooked toes.
If you do not consult an orthopedic doctor or podiatrist in a timely manner, bumps will grow on your fingers, calluses will form, and nails will grow ingrown. Putting the fingers in place begins with massage, wearing a bandage and splint, and gymnastics.
If the toe is swollen and hurts when touched, festers and becomes swollen, this is the beginning of onychocryptosis. Inflammation and redness of the skin around the diseased nail usually occurs on the big toe. The nail grows into the skin of the finger, which is accompanied by acute stabbing pain when pressed. The skin becomes damaged and inflamed. It is difficult to stop this process; sometimes it can be treated for several years. In addition to purulent inflammation, there is an increase in “wild meat” that will need to be cut off.
Treatment consists of removing the sharp corners of the nail in pedicure or surgical offices. A medical manicure is performed by a podiatrist, who also treats feet.
This is a benign growth in the area of the nerves between the toes. The sign is a burning, shooting pain at the base of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers. They go numb and the person begins to limp.
A general practitioner or orthopedist will refer you for X-ray and MRI examinations. A neurologist must be involved in the treatment. The disease is rare and other diagnoses must be excluded before starting treatment. The main reason is flat feet. A course of painkillers, orthopedic insoles, UHF therapy, and gymnastics help in the initial stages.
The consequence of this disease is vascular lesions of the legs . This manifests itself when your fingers hurt when walking. At the same time, their sensitivity is impaired, a burning sensation is felt in the feet and numbness in the fingers. The cause is poor circulation due to clogged capillaries.
An endocrinologist examines the patient for the presence of high blood sugar and selects comprehensive treatment to reduce it. Massage brings relief; careful hygiene and the use of herbal baths are necessary.
If your toe hurts for no reason, you may suspect the development of gout. The pathologically increased presence of uric acid in the vessels and the precipitation of its salts leads to severe pain in the joints of the thumb. Attacks of the disease can last several days. The disease progresses over time, affecting other joints. As the disease progresses, it ends in polyarthritis and destruction of the finger joints.
Attacks of pain in the legs usually begin at night. Signs of the disease - the joint is swollen and red, the skin becomes hot. A burning pain from the toe travels up the leg. During the attack, the joint swelled, increasing in size. The attack can last for days and weeks. In the morning you feel stiffness and numbness for an hour. After the pain disappears, the joints return to normal.
The disease is treated by a rheumatologist. After a blood test, urine test, rheumatoid test and AST test, treatment with hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs is prescribed. Folk remedies in the form of ointments and mixtures are actively used.
Damage to the joints of the toes is usually symmetrical. Severe pain does not subside during exercise or at rest. The joints become swollen and deformed, and a crunching sensation appears. The temperature in the painful part of the foot rises, causing redness. Movements are difficult, joints bend and straighten poorly.
According to its origin, arthritis is infectious and rheumatoid. This is an autoimmune disease, the patient’s body attacks itself. Small joints are most often affected, and over time they become deformed.
Treatment is carried out by a rheumatologist. Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. Special substances are injected into the most inflamed joints to relieve inflammation.
A joint disease in which cartilage is destroyed. The pain is periodic and occurs more frequently over time. Usually begins with aching pain in the bones of the thumb, which goes away after rest. Morning stiffness is typical, joints crack and are difficult to straighten. Over time, the joints of the fingers become deformed, curved, and increase in size, which entails additional pain.
It can begin in advanced cases of arthrosis , with severe bruises. If the big toe is swollen and painful, hot to the touch and red, a mobile swelling is felt near the sore joint, then these signs indicate the onset of the disease. Inflammation occurs in a cavity filled with fluid located between the muscles and bone.
If the disease is not treated, it becomes chronic, in which the pain becomes constant. Sometimes purulent bursitis develops, then the body temperature rises, weakness and nausea appear. To establish an accurate diagnosis, in addition to examination, they undergo radiography, MRI, and a fluid puncture.
The treatment prescribed by a rheumatologist is antibiotics to eliminate inflammation.
Inflammation and destruction of tendons. Often accompanied by inflammation of surrounding tissues. Constant aching pain when walking and sharp pain when bending a joint, crunching, increased temperature in the area of pain are signs of the disease.
The cause may be leg injury, heavy physical activity, infections, the effects of medications and old age. A traumatologist or orthopedist conducts laboratory tests for infection, radiography, MRI, and ultrasound.
Destruction of joint cartilage associated with wear and tear. This disease is not associated with inflammation, but the person experiences pain and stiffness in movement, especially in the morning. The pain intensifies with load on the joint. Often bone spurs grow on diseased joints and the joint increases in volume.
Diagnosis of the disease is radiography. A rheumatologist prescribes treatment in the form of regular exercise, diet, and mandatory weight loss. In addition, the patient takes painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications.
An acute inflammatory process accompanied by purulent-necrotic lesions of bone and soft tissue. Often occurs with fractures and open wounds. The reason is pathogenic bacteria and microbacteria that produce pus.
In addition to severe and acute pain in the area of the affected joint, the disease causes poisoning of the body with a large amount of pus. This is manifested by severe swelling, chills, weakness, and lack of appetite. Movements are severely constrained, the pain does not stop even at rest. The disease is diagnosed by an orthopedic surgeon and treated by a traumatologist and surgeon.
During treatment, the patient is prescribed mandatory hospitalization. The main task is to eliminate the purulent focus. A course of antibiotics, detoxification, and immunomodulatory therapy is prescribed.
When injured, apply a cold compress to relieve swelling and reduce fever. The compress is applied for 15 minutes, a 5-minute break and the compress again.
If a bone fracture is suspected, it is necessary to fix the leg, immobilizing it in the damaged joint. To do this, apply splints, wrapping them around the leg. After which you need to go to the regional emergency room for an accurate diagnosis and first aid.
You should not hesitate to see a doctor if your toes hurt for several days, your skin color has changed, your feet are swollen, or your general health is poor.
If the cause of sudden pain in the toes is known, then the first aid will be the use of external ointments or gels that relieve pain, swelling and inflammation - Fastum gel, Diclofenac, Voltaren emulgel.
In addition to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory ointments, chondoprotectors are used for pain in the toes. These drugs help restore cartilage by nourishing it and slowing down destruction. The drug Chondroxide belongs to this group.
Cooling ointments are used immediately after injury. They are considered first aid drugs, relieve pain, relieve swelling - Bystrum gel, Ben-Gay.
Warming ointments such as Finalgon or Dolobene are used during the rehabilitation period of bruises and sprains.
After a visual examination of the sore spot, the doctor may prescribe additional examinations in case of an ambiguous decision:
Movalis is a modern non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug based on enolic acid, used to treat rheumatism, arthritis, and arthrosis. It has an analgesic and strong anti-inflammatory effect, reduces fever. The uniqueness of the drug lies in its targeted effect on the source of inflammation, without spreading the effect to the stomach and kidneys.
Conventional ointments such as Ortofen and Naise help to locally numb the area of the body.
Hormonal drugs - Dexamethasone - are used to treat autoimmune diseases. They quickly relieve pain and relieve inflammation.
To establish a diagnosis, contact a general practitioner, who will then recommend a doctor with a narrow specialization: a phlebologist (vascular disease), an orthopedist (bone disease), a podiatrist (foot disease), an endocrinologist (immune diseases), a neurologist (diseases of the nervous system) or a traumatologist.
Tips for preventing finger pain are simple, but following them will help prevent many troubles from occurring:
This is especially true for health. Only at a young age can one hope for self-healing. In adulthood, a lot of effort must be made to achieve recovery.
If, for no apparent reason, your toe is swollen and hurts, you should try to establish the source of the ailment. Even just an ingrown toenail can cause pain and discomfort for several years. Being neither sick nor healthy is not the best state.
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Discomfort in the legs can be a real torment for a modern person. Doctors emphasize that recently, patient complaints about pain and swelling in the big toe have become especially frequent. The background to the problem and ways to resolve it will be discussed in this material.
There can be several causes of pain and swelling in the toes:
In this case, not only one finger, but the entire leg may become numb and painful.
If your finger is swollen, this may be a signal of an inflammatory process in the joint. There can be quite a lot of diseases that cause discomfort in this part of the lower limb.
This disease is often encountered in medical practice. It can be infectious and deficient.
If a person has an incompletely cured viral disease, then a significant decrease in the body’s defenses occurs. Streptococci actively penetrate into the joint, destroying cartilaginous tissue.
During the process, no symptoms arise, but over time, an aching pain develops, turning into a stabbing pain. As a rule, attacks and discomfort in the legs torment the patient at night, and gradually subside by morning.
It is also commonly called redundant. The disease develops against the background of metabolic disorders in the body and excessive concentration of:
As a result, harmful deposits accumulate around the big toe. Even with a slight load, it begins to hurt and swelling develops.
The disease also causes changes in the structure of the toe, disruption of its functionality, swelling and pain. There is destruction of soft tissues and pathological changes in cartilage (deep cracks and elasticity).
It is characterized by a significant decrease in bone tissue, which provokes excessive bone fragility and swelling. The disease is caused by a deficiency of phosphorus and calcium. If a person hits his little toe, then with osteoporosis this will cause not only a tumor, but also a fracture.
If there is an excess of salts in the body, foot deformities and bursitis (inflammation of the bursa between the joints of the toes) can occur. Another prerequisite for this disease is serious immune disorders.
Exudate forms in the inflamed bursae (bursae), gradually accumulates and provokes an increase in temperature in the affected area.
This disease has another name – gout. It can be easily recognized by its characteristically protruding leg bone. There is an inward displacement of the lower extremities, which is accompanied by:
Gout is caused by impaired metabolism in the body.
It is characterized by pinched nerve endings. This occurs with thickening of the soft tissue around the nerves. The result is swelling, burning of the fingers, cramps and tingling in them. Typically, a neuroma develops between the 3rd and 4th toes.
These problems cause a finger, such as the little finger, to swell.
It is diabetes mellitus that can cause complications in the legs and swelling. Impaired blood circulation in the legs causes not only a tumor in the finger, but also gangrene. In particularly difficult cases, amputation of the affected limb cannot be avoided.
If you have problems with your toe and it is swollen, then the right decision would be not to postpone an early visit to your doctor. If this is not done, then over time the feeling of discomfort will only intensify, the joint will wear out and the situation will be difficult to resolve without surgical intervention.
When your toe hurts and is swollen, and there is no way to seek medical help, then in this case it is necessary to provide your foot with complete rest for several days. Symptoms can be significantly alleviated by using local antiseptics and ointments to constrict blood vessels.
When your thumb hurts, is swollen and red, there is a high probability of an ingrown toenail. It begins to fester over time, causing a tugging pain in the joint and provokes the development of a tumor. To get rid of unpleasant sensations, you can do foot baths:
Baths have a beneficial effect on the condition of the feet and help relieve stress from them. The skin on the finger softens, and the ingrown nail is thus released. Herbal infusions can play the role of an antiseptic, while relieving the symptoms of inflammation and swelling.
It is important to cut your nails correctly. The length of the nail plate should reach the tip of the fingers. You should avoid too short pedicures. The shape should be straight, and sharp edges should be removed. This can be done using a nail file.
In addition, you should pay attention to your shoes. It should be comfortable (necessarily with a heel of 3 to 5 cm) and orthopedic. It would be good to follow a rational diet, carefully choose nail salons and always wear special shoes in public areas (beach, pool, sauna, gym).
If you have pain and swelling in your toe, especially if the problem has been around for a long time, you should first consult a physician. This doctor will perform an initial examination of the affected finger and, if necessary, recommend that you consult a specialist doctor. If heart disease should be excluded as a cause of pain in the finger, then consultation with a surgeon and rheumatologist is necessary.
When a finger is swollen and there are suspicions of hormonal imbalances, the patient will be treated by an endocrinologist. He will tell you in detail what you can do. Arthritis, arthrosis or other foot disorders are the responsibility of an orthopedic surgeon, who is found in almost every clinic.
If the cause of the finger swelling is injury, bruise, sprain or dislocation, the patient will be treated by a traumatologist.
When the cartilage around a joint deteriorates (due to rapid aging), tissue deformation occurs and bone is exposed. If the big toe hurts, is swollen, or the patient has hit it, the doctor may recommend various remedies to relieve discomfort:
During acute attacks, applying ice will help relieve pain caused by the deposition of urolithiasis and the growth of a lump on the side of the foot. In addition, the doctor will recommend limiting the consumption of foods rich in protein. Pain can be relieved with medications that remove uric acid in a short time. This treatment will help relieve inflammation, swelling and pain.
If the situation is advanced, then the patient can be helped to get rid of the tumor through surgery.
Leg health problems are always serious. Whatever part this concerns, you need not to delay and promptly seek help from specialists. Painful big toe is a common problem. To make a correct diagnosis, an examination and consultation with a doctor is necessary. To maintain a beautiful gait and healthy feet, you need to start fighting the problem of big toe pain at the first discomfort. Even if your big toe just hurts, this is a cause for concern.
Why does your thumb hurt, does a bone protrude, or does the shape of your nail change? Common reasons for such changes cause the following problems:
Let's take a closer look at how the diagnoses differ and are similar.
Those who know little about the real clinical picture call arthrosis gout. This is a huge mistake. Diseases are different and require different approaches to treatment. The only thing they have in common is pain in the big toe.
Arthrosis accompanies mostly women, and gout accompanies men. This is due to the fact that women more often sacrifice the health of their feet for beautiful, but uncomfortable shoes. If a woman wears tight shoes that compress the bones, fingers and foot, then deformation of the big toe occurs. Under the influence of walking, not only the bones of the thumbs, but also the joints begin to suffer. Inflammation begins in them. They begin to increase in size. Over time, any movement of the thumb causes pain. And later the bones of the thumb hurt even at rest. If you do not pay attention to this in time, then the curvature, compaction and thickening will deform the bones so much that the reverse process will no longer happen. The finger may remain in the wrong position forever. This causes friction against the shoes and inflammation in the tissues around the joints. After this, inflammation of the joint occurs. The big toe becomes swollen and red.
As a consequence, the process covers the rest of the toes and foot. Unfortunately, this process cannot be stopped or corrected with medications. This cannot be done without the help of a surgeon. Therefore, women who love narrow heels should think carefully about the consequences of wearing such shoes. At the slightest pain, you need to change your favorite shoes to comfortable ones, give your feet rest and stop the deformation of the remaining toes. Why women are so reckless and do not pay due attention to the health of their feet can be explained. Beauty, up to a certain age, is more important to them.
Unlike arthrosis, gout has completely different conditions for its appearance. Everything is much more complicated here. Among the reasons cited are metabolic disorders. Uric acid salts, instead of being eliminated from the body, are deposited in the joints and kidneys. This injures the organs and causes severe pain. Inflammation of the joints is the beginning of the disease. It is the lower extremities that suffer first.
The first attack of gout begins with inflammation of the big toe of the right or left foot. As a rule, the finger begins to hurt sharply. This appears at night.
If gout is not diagnosed in time, the disease will enter a long-term phase. The inflammation may persist for several months. There may be an increase in body temperature, redness of the tissues on the finger at the joint and where the nail is. The main causes of gout are poor lifestyle, diet, and alcohol abuse. This disease is one of the first described by doctors. Why it was called the disease of aristocrats is not difficult to guess. The disease affected people with high material income due to their large and incontinent appetite and alcohol abuse.
If, with arthrosis, a process of deformation of the finger, bone, or nail occurs, which can be corrected by a surgeon, then gout becomes a consequence of a number of causes that can be eliminated. Medicines, lifestyle changes and dietary changes can help here.
The disease is associated with the degeneration of fibrous tissue and its thickening in the foot.
More such cases have been registered in women over the age of 35, on the right or left leg. The disease does not often occur on both legs at the same time. The source of pain spreads to the thumb. Although the development of the disease occurs where the bones of the third and fourth toes are located. Sometimes, between the bones of the second and third fingers. Very rarely, the disease affects other fingers and bones. Here the reasons also lie in the mechanical effect on the feet and fingers. Incorrect shoes, flat feet, overload, injuries - these are the factors that increase the risk of acquiring plantar fasciitis (this is the second name of the disease). The big toe hurts just like the rest. The main discomfort occurs at the base of the finger.
Women are affected by this disease five times more often than men.
The relationship between diabetes and toe pain may seem strange. Unfortunately, the disease is so complex that it involves many organs, nerve endings, and limbs. After a hard day, long walking, overload, the bone on the toe may hurt at night or in the morning. In addition, you may feel a burning sensation in your feet.
An ingrown toenail is also a consequence of mechanical stress. Incorrect shoe shape, toe injuries, fractures, dislocations, nails cut too deep, infections and fungi - all this causes inflammation in the joint.
You can determine that a nail is becoming ingrown by several signs: a change in shape, redness of the upper part of the finger near the nail, possible discharge of pus, the finger experiences acute pain with a twitching character.
Ingrown toenails are a common problem. You should not self-medicate; the problem can worsen.
In addition to all the above reasons, painful sensations can occur due to a huge layer of dead cells. These growths must be removed so that blood circulation is not obstructed.
The legs bear the greatest physical load. All day long they carry a body whose weight sometimes exceeds their strength. If you experience any pain, be it pain in a bone, a finger or a foot, you need to pay close attention to the signal. If there is a suspicion that pain in the toes may be inflammation, you need to seek help from a neurologist, traumatologist, endocrinologist or surgeon.
Perhaps every person at least once in his life has encountered such a problem as swollen toes. Indeed, this is quite normal when walking for a long time or being forced to stand in a queue for many hours, as well as when wearing tight shoes. For an unpleasant symptom to disappear, a healthy person most often just needs to take off his shoes and rest.
However, for some people, everything is not as rosy as it might seem at first glance. A swollen finger may indicate that some pathological process is occurring in the body, which requires urgent medical consultation. With these diseases, pain and swelling of the toe is the “tip of the iceberg.” What is hidden under the surface of the “dark waters” of our body and what to do next? Only a doctor can determine this.
The toe joints, despite their small size, can be the target of many pathological conditions. There are more than 50 different diseases that can manifest themselves with this symptom.
When figuring out the reasons why your toe hurts and is swollen, you should definitely rule out injuries and other external influences. The most vulnerable part of the foot is the little toe, and it is this that accounts for the lion's share of toe injuries. It can be damaged by a direct impact (for example, on a door frame or the leg of a sofa), as well as by wearing tight shoes. As a result, the little finger hurts, swells, and its function may be impaired.
In a number of systemic connective tissue diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory process develops in the tissues of the joints of the arms and legs. Individual toes may be affected (for example, only the big toe or only the little toe), but there may also be a combined lesion. Patients complain that their toes feel like they are burning, they swell, turn red, and become stiff. Ultimately, they become deformed and may lose their function altogether.
For some infectious diseases, damage to small joints is the most characteristic symptom. Thus, with pseudotuberculosis, caused by a microorganism of the genus Yersinia and manifested by gastrointestinal disorders and rash, the development of multiple arthritis of the fingers and toes is characteristic. Another disease is borreliosis, or Lyme disease, caused by a tick bite. It manifests itself with a variety of symptoms, ranging from meningitis and skin lesions to inflammation of the joints of the hands and feet.
Of course, local infectious and inflammatory processes can also cause swelling and pain in the toes. These include primarily panaritium, or inflammation of the soft tissues of the finger, and paronychia, inflammation of the nail bed. Patients note unbearable throbbing pain in the finger, its sharp swelling and redness; often a purulent focus is clearly visible. It should be noted that due to anatomical features, felon and paronychia often develop in the fingers rather than the toes.
Pain and swelling of the big toe are a common occurrence among heavy lovers of meat, beans, chocolate and beer. These products increase the concentration of uric acid in the blood, which is deposited in the tissues of the joints and causes inflammation. A similar mechanism is observed in gout, with the only exception that with this disease there is a disturbance in the metabolism of uric acid, and not just its excess supply from the outside.
The toe joints, although very small, can be affected in a variety of ways. In the most severe process, the following symptoms are observed:
Some diseases have their own favorite location. Thus, with gout, it is considered classic to affect the big toe in the base area (at the border with the foot). For rheumatoid arthritis, multiple lesions of the small joints of the hands are more typical, although the toes are often also involved.
There may be symptoms of a systemic inflammatory response, such as fever, weakness, malaise, decreased appetite, sweating and other symptoms similar to those of colds. Systemic connective tissue diseases can cause strange pain in the leg and arm, fluctuations in blood pressure, digestive problems and much more.
What to do if your toe is swollen and red? First of all, you need to see a doctor. Moreover, you can use a free online service, find a good specialist and make an appointment with a doctor online. The best specialist in joint pathology is a rheumatologist, a specialist in systemic connective tissue diseases and arthritis.
At your appointment, the doctor will carefully listen to your complaints and examine the affected fingers. To make a final diagnosis, an x-ray of the foot, a general and biochemical blood test, and determination of rheumatoid factor and other indicators of systemic inflammation are prescribed. Based on a set of these data, the doctor will prescribe treatment, which must be strictly followed in order to avoid further progression of the process and improve the quality of life.
What to do if the symptoms are unbearable, and the next appointment with the doctor is only in a few days? In this case, the following is acceptable:
Everything in the body is interconnected and nothing happens without a reason. Damage to even one finger, no matter how insignificant this symptom may seem at first glance, can indicate a serious pathological process with pronounced changes in blood tests, and even damage to the heart. A timely visit to a specialist will allow you to gain time and immediately begin treatment for a dangerous disease.
Everything in the human body is interconnected. Violation of the functionality of one of its organs can lead to inflammatory processes in others. Sometimes it happens that one disease manifests itself with completely different, unusual symptoms. For example, if the cardiovascular system is impaired, pain in the big toe may occur.
Moreover, it can be of a completely different nature. So what should you do if your big toe hurts? And how can you independently determine whether this symptom signals a pathology or not? Let's talk about this.
Pain in the thumb area can be different - aching, sharp, twitching or dull. As a rule, if the pain syndrome is severe and there are no obvious reasons for this (trauma, ingrown toenail, etc.), then this signals inflammatory processes in the body.
Under no circumstances should such pain be tolerated. You need to see a doctor. Because if the cause of its occurrence is not eliminated in time, serious health complications may arise.
It is worth noting that other manifestations of the disease are very important for making a diagnosis. For example:
The time of onset of pain also plays a big role in diagnosing diseases. Most often it occurs when walking. But it happens that pain occurs only during physical activity or at night, when a person is at complete rest.
It would seem that all these are little things, but for a doctor they are all of great importance. Therefore, at your first appointment, you should tell your doctor:
Why does my big toe hurt? This question is of interest to everyone who has encountered this problem. It is worth noting that the appearance of pain in the toe can occur both as a result of exposure to external and internal factors.
External factors mean:
Pain in the big toe may also indicate the development of certain diseases (internal factors). For example:
All these pathologies are quite serious, and therefore you should not hesitate to treat them. Unfortunately, most of them cannot be completely eliminated. However, it is still possible to stop the inflammatory processes and further deformation of the feet. For this, various medications, exercise therapy, electrophoresis and other modern treatment methods are used.
If you have pain in your big toes, treatment should be entrusted to a doctor. After all, most often the appearance of a pain syndrome signals the development of serious diseases that cannot be cured with ordinary folk remedies.
If you have suffered a thumb injury, you should see a surgeon. If you have a dislocation or fracture, you will need to use fixing devices. If you simply have a bruise, which is accompanied by severe pain, then you may be prescribed various ointments and topical gels that will help resolve the bruises and eliminate pain.
If the cause of pain in your toe is a simple bruise, then you can eliminate it using traditional medicine. In such cases, a gruel made from onions helps a lot. It is applied to the painful area, the top of the leg is wrapped in polyethylene, and a warm sock is put on top. The procedure time is 30 minutes.
If pain in the big toe area occurs due to diabetes mellitus, then you need to use modern topical pharmaceuticals, which will be prescribed to you by your doctor.
In addition, you will need to adhere to a strict diet to prevent stress on your joints and aggravation of the disease itself. You also need to take special medications that help lower blood glucose levels. The use of traditional medicine in this case is not recommended.
If you find an ingrown toenail on your big toe, you should remove it to make yourself feel better. To do this, you can contact a surgeon or cosmetologist. Using modern medicine, they will remove the ingrown toenail and treat the damaged surface with special solutions to prevent infection.
Elimination of pain in the big toe with a disease such as gout occurs through the use of modern anti-inflammatory drugs. The treatment of the pathology itself is aimed at reducing the level of uric acid in the body, and therefore requires adherence to a special diet.
You need to eliminate organ meats, legumes, strong meat broths, red meat, etc. from your diet. (your doctor will describe the diet to you in more detail). And in case of exacerbations, you can use traditional medicine. You can take a medicinal mixture based on alcohol and activated carbon inside, or use compresses made from chopped onions.
When pain occurs in the big toe due to the development of arthritis, special medications are prescribed that protect and restore connective tissue. It is also necessary to take anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamin complexes and exercise therapy.
As for traditional medicine, to relieve pain we advise us to use a tincture made from bay leaves and raw potatoes, as well as apple cider vinegar lotions.
Elimination of pain in arthrosis occurs with the help of anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as modern chondoprotectors. Exercise therapy and other physiotherapeutic procedures are also required.
At home, you can eliminate pain on the thumb by applying compresses based on yogurt and honey, as well as cabbage leaves.
This pathology requires the use of special orthopedic devices that fix the thumb in one position. Unfortunately, using folk remedies to eliminate the pain in this case will not work.
If you have pain in the big toe area, there is no need to self-medicate. It's better to seek help from a doctor.