Blackening of the toe is an ailment that more and more people are experiencing, regardless of lifestyle and hygiene standards. By stating the fact of blackened toes, it is impossible to make a diagnosis on your own, since this manifestation is a symptom of several diseases. There are a number of possible causes of blackening of the toes, including both infectious and mechanical damage. An accurate diagnosis must be made by a doctor based on laboratory data.
Black toes can become black toes due to various reasons. This may be due to previous injuries, fungal infections and other diseases. Doctors identify several main causes of darkening of the nail on one or more fingers:
In addition to the main ones, there are many additional reasons why toes turn black. These include: melanonychia, benign tumors and other ailments, the treatment of which must be carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor.
Fungus. In the early stages it is almost invisible. In some cases, there is a burning sensation in the fingers, redness and itching of the skin around the nails. Later, the nails become brittle and brittle, the process of delamination begins, and the nail quickly becomes dull. If you continue to ignore the symptoms, indigestion begins to develop, allergic reactions appear, and your nails turn black. A blackened nail causes the nail plate to grow into the skin. Ultimately, the ingrown toenail must be trimmed and completely or partially removed.
If your toes turn black not because of a bruise or other mechanical damage, but because of a developing disease, it will not be easy to find out what exactly caused the pigmentation to appear. In this case, it is worth considering the various symptoms that appear during the development of any disease in the body.
Every person should know what to do in certain situations when their nails turn black before visiting a doctor.
Treatment is selected by a dermatologist or traumatologist, depending on the cause of the blackening. In some situations, surgical intervention is necessary.
Naturally, it is impossible to prevent the occurrence of all diseases at once. Some of them can be completely eliminated or the risk of their occurrence can be minimized by following simple rules of prevention:
If your finger turns black, despite possible methods of prevention and treatment, you should think about the advisability of visiting a doctor. In most cases, the prognosis for this phenomenon is favorable, but it is necessary to immediately pay attention to the symptoms.
Treatment of diabetic feet should begin as early as possible. A consistently high concentration of sugar in the blood causes disruption of all types of metabolism - carbohydrate, fat, mineral, protein and water-salt. Hormonal and metabolic changes negatively affect the functioning of the entire body and lead to the development of serious diabetic complications. The cardiovascular system is primarily affected. As the disease progresses, tissue nutrition, especially peripheral tissue, deteriorates. Due to the intense load on the lower extremities, pathological processes in them develop especially quickly.
One of the reasons why legs hurt in patients with diabetes is diabetic angiopathy. It develops as a result of damage to small (microangiopathy) and large (macroangiopathy) blood vessels. The complication occurs against the background of incorrectly selected treatment or its absence. High levels of glucose in the blood, as well as sudden and repeated changes during the day, have a destructive effect on capillaries and large arteries.
As a result, glucose begins to intensively seep into the thickness of the walls of the blood vessels of the legs. It disrupts their structure and reduces permeability. The pathological process is accompanied by the accumulation in the walls of blood vessels of glucose metabolic products (fructose and sorbitol), which have the ability to accumulate fluid. The vascular walls filled with moisture swell, swell and thicken. Their lumen narrows sharply.
High glucose levels activate the process of thrombus formation. Blood clots forming on the walls of blood vessels further narrow the lumen and impair blood circulation.
Destroyed by glucose, the endothelium (the layer of cells lining the inner surface of blood vessels) loses the ability to produce a substance that regulates the width of blood vessels. Their narrowing can be so strong that blood circulation in the capillaries can completely stop. Blood vessels are more likely to break down in the lower extremities, which is why people with diabetes have leg pain.
Vasoconstriction is promoted by the atherosclerotic process, which occurs due to lipid metabolism disorders. Cholesterol deposits formed on their walls increase due to the proliferation of connective tissue. Due to a critical deterioration in blood circulation, tissues suffer from hypoxia (acute lack of oxygen).
Diabetic angiopathy is characterized by a feeling of numbness, coldness and “crawling goosebumps” in the legs. With severe narrowing of the lumen of blood vessels in the lower extremities, cramps and pain appear.
Pain in the legs in diabetes is so severe that it causes a person to limp. Pain syndrome usually occurs during movement, when tissues need additional portions of oxygen.
Legs hurt in diabetes when diabetic neuropathy develops. The complication is characterized by damage to the nervous system. The nervous system consists of nerve fibers collected in bundles, which are held together by a sheath of connective tissue (perineurium). The perineurium contains blood vessels that supply nerve fibers.
In diabetes mellitus, sharp fluctuations in blood sugar concentration are observed:
High levels of glucose in the bloodstream cause fructose and sorbitol to accumulate in nerve fibers, causing swelling. As a result, the nerve bundles partially lose their functions. Along with diabetic changes, the myelin sheaths that insulate the nerve fibers are destroyed. Because of this, nerve impulses are scattered and do not reach their final goal. Over time, the fibers atrophy and stop transmitting nerve signals. If diabetes mellitus is accompanied by high blood pressure, nerve cells may die as a result of spasm of small capillaries.
Leg pain in diabetes mellitus occurs in response to any minor skin irritation. Sometimes the patient may wake up at night from the pain caused by the touch of the blanket. Damage to nerve fibers usually occurs symmetrically on both lower extremities. Unpleasant sensations appear on the skin in the form of tingling, burning, and “goosebumps.”
Sometimes a sharp dagger pain pierces the legs. They reduce sensitivity. This condition is called sock syndrome. A person feels objects touched by his foot indistinctly, as if he were wearing socks. His lower limbs are constantly cold. Due to decreased sensitivity in the legs, the patient's coordination of movements is impaired. The lower limbs do not obey him. Restricted movement and poor blood circulation cause muscle atrophy. They lose strength and decrease in size.
Decreased sensitivity does not allow a person to feel pain in the legs when injured, or to feel a sharp or hot object. He may not notice an ulcer on his leg for a long time. This condition is dangerous to the patient's health.
Diabetic arthropathy develops against the background of neuropathy. Due to decreased sensitivity in the legs, a person is often injured. But bruises, sprains, micro-tears of ligaments and muscle fibers go unnoticed by them.
Due to lack of treatment, foci of inflammation occur in injured tissues. The small joints of the feet are predominantly affected. Pathological processes cause an increase in blood flow in bone tissue. Its consequence is the leaching of minerals from the bones. The pathology also progresses due to deterioration in the nutrition of the cartilage tissue of the joints, which occurs against the background of a decrease in the lumen of blood vessels.
Such leg diseases develop less frequently in type 2 diabetes than in type 1 diabetes. Features of the disease:
At the initial stage of the disease, swelling of the extremities in the joint area appears. The skin in this area turns red and becomes hot. Slight pain may be observed if the pathological process has not caused serious damage to the nerve fibers. With diabetic arthropathy, foot deformity is clearly visible. The patient suffers from frequent dislocations and fractures of the leg bones. Diabetic changes usually appear in both legs with little time difference.
Inflammatory processes are often complicated by the addition of a secondary infection, which provokes phlegmon and abscesses.
Metabolic disorders cause the development of dermatological diseases. Patients often develop brown spots on their legs due to diabetes. They are a sign of diabetic dermopathy. Round or oval lesions are covered with small flaky scales and do not cause discomfort to a person. For dermopathy, no treatment is prescribed.
Due to a violation of carbohydrate metabolism, spots with a coating may appear on the skin of the legs, the color of which varies from yellow to red or bluish. This disease is called necrobiosis lipoidica. The skin becomes very thin and vulnerable. As the disease progresses, painful sores may develop. Over time, they disappear on their own. A brownish stain remains in their place. Necrobiosis lipoidica is found mainly in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Peeling skin on the legs is a sign of diabetic atherosclerosis. They are covered with painful and difficult to heal wounds. Diabetic atherosclerosis can cause pain in the leg muscles.
Diabetic blisters are subcutaneous nodules. They resemble a regular burn. The disease goes away on its own without treatment after a few weeks.
With diabetes mellitus, yellow formations (plaques) may appear on the skin of the legs. They are a sign of xanthamatosis. Xanthomas can reach 2–3 cm in diameter. They appear as a result of lipid metabolism disorders and are lipid deposits.
Darkening of the skin around the joints of the legs may indicate acanthosis nigricans. It develops in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus against the background of increased insulin resistance. In the affected areas, the skin thickens, itches and emits an unpleasant odor.
If signs of diabetes complications appear, you should consult a doctor. He will diagnose the disease, determine the stage of its development and tell you what to do in this case. If necessary, treatment will be prescribed.
Therapy is aimed at lowering blood sugar levels and preventing sudden spikes. Patients are prescribed meglitinides (Nateglinide, Repaglinide) or sulfonylurea derivatives (Gliclazide, Liquidon, Glimepiride).
Treatment of legs for type 2 diabetes mellitus is carried out with the help of drugs that increase tissue sensitivity to insulin. These include thiazolidinediones (Rosiglitazone, Ciglitazone, Troglitazone, Englitazone). To reduce the absorption of carbohydrates in the intestine, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (Acarbose, Miglitol) are used.
To reduce pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Nimesulide, Indamethacin) are prescribed. Local anesthetics are also used (Versatis with lidocaine, Ketoprofen gel). For severe pain, tricyclic antidepressants (Amitriptyline) are used. To eliminate painful convulsions, anticonvulsants (Gabalentin, Pregabalin) are prescribed.
Neurotropic drugs (Milgamma, vitamins B1, B6 and B12) help treat diabetic legs. They relieve inflammation, help restore nerve fibers and improve the conduction of nerve impulses.
Simvastatin, Lovastatin or Atorvastatin are used to lower cholesterol levels. Lowering blood pressure is achieved by taking Veralamil, Nifediline, Lisinopril. To strengthen blood vessels, the attending physician will prescribe Pentoxifylline, Bilobil or Rutoside. In addition, diuretics (Furosemide, Spironolactone) are indicated. To prevent blood clots, take Aspirin or Sulodexide.
To improve metabolic processes, injections of Solcoseryl or Trifosadenine are prescribed.
Sometimes, after treatment, the symptoms of leg diseases may worsen. This reaction indicates the restoration of nerve fibers. A decrease in pain and discomfort occurs after two months.
People with diabetes need to examine their feet daily, including the toes and the areas between them. They must be washed regularly with warm water (not hotter than 37°C). After using the toilet, the skin should be carefully dried.
It is not allowed to warm your feet, walk barefoot or wear shoes without socks. Treatment of calluses and other skin diseases can only be carried out after consultation with a doctor and under his supervision.
Avoid wearing tight shoes with rough edges, inseams or unevenness. Socks with seams should not be used. They need to be changed daily. Nails should be cut with blunt-tipped scissors. In this case, you should not round the corners of the nail plate. If unusual sensations appear, the patient should consult a doctor.
Darkening of the skin tissues of the lower extremities is a separate problem caused by the influence of various factors.
The main answer to the question of why the legs below the knees turn black is the disruption of blood flow in the veins. This problem is often encountered by people suffering from varicose veins or chronic venous insufficiency.
In some cases, a change in the color of the legs becomes a consequence of a disruption in the process of arterial blood flow. You should not try to whiten your skin on your own, because deterioration of the skin condition may indicate serious health problems.
If the skin on your legs turns black, this may be due to damage to peripheral blood vessels. This deviation accompanies diabetes mellitus, which negatively affects blood flow. Disturbance in the process of blood supply to organs leads to an increase in the time required for healing of wounds and ulcers.
In turn, damage to peripheral vessels is associated with a disruption of the blood circulation passing away from the heart through blood vessels. If diabetes is accompanied by an infection, the difficulty of removing it from the body lies precisely in poor blood flow. Black legs in this case may signal the development of gangrene - tissue death due to impaired blood flow.
When your legs turn black below the knees, you should think about the possible development of varicose veins.
When entering the legs, the blood must overcome gravity and rise upward. To accomplish this mission, nature has provided venous valves that allow biological fluid to pass in only one direction. Each heartbeat propels blood upward through the vessels, but when short pauses occur between contractions of the organ, the venous valves do not allow reverse blood flow.
With pathological dilatation of the veins, sufficient closure of the valves does not occur, and a gap forms between the heart wall and the valve. This defect disrupts normal blood circulation and causes veins to dilate.
What factors trigger such an unfavorable process? Experts highlight several points:
The presence of one or more factors places a person at risk, and poor heredity only accelerates the development of pathology. If there are cases of varicose veins in the family, it is advisable to play it safe and get advice from a phlebologist (vein specialist) or surgeon.
If your toe turns black, this does not always indicate a disease.
In winter, discoloration of the skin of the extremities may indicate frostbite. First, the skin affected by the cold turns white and loses sensitivity. Attempts to heat the problem area lead to pain and discoloration of the tissue to a blue-purple surface.
With severe frostbite, swelling develops that spreads beyond the affected area. Blisters form on the skin and its color is distorted. The integument can acquire a dark red or bluish color, even black.
Gangrene as a result of hypothermia of the feet or a consequence of diabetes mellitus manifests itself by blackening of the thumb and a number of pathological signs:
To prevent the development of gangrene, experts recommend taking Aspirin for a month (half a tablet twice a day). For preventive purposes, loose shoes should be worn. At the end of the day, it is useful to rinse your feet with cold water and rub them until they are red with a terry towel.
In your daily diet, you should limit the consumption of animal fats. Enriched with cholesterol, they are deposited in blood vessels and impair blood circulation. It is also not recommended to indulge in salty and spicy foods and abuse smoking and alcohol.
If you have a problem with darkening of your legs, you should consult a dermatologist or therapist. Patients suffering from diabetes mellitus should consult an endocrinologist. If you have signs of varicose veins, it is recommended to go to a vascular surgeon.
When the legs swell and turn black, such abnormalities can be considered as limb injuries. If soft tissues involved in the lymph or blood flow of the lower extremities are damaged, a person may experience chronic swelling in the affected leg. At the same time, the injuries themselves and the methods of their treatment increase the risks of developing venous insufficiency and deep vein thrombosis.
Swelling of the legs in their lower part can occur due to various reasons. The most harmless of them is fatigue, the most dangerous is heart failure. Signs of pathology are:
With diseases of the thyroid gland, problems with the legs are accompanied by disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, swelling of the tongue and drowsiness. Problems with the kidneys are indicated by swelling of both extremities (on the back of the foot), changes in the color of urine and the appearance of dark circles under the eyes.
What to do if your leg turns black? You can solve the problem yourself by increasing physical activity and visiting a bathhouse (at elevated temperatures, the blood vessels will return to normal). Among the medications, drugs are indicated that strengthen the walls of blood vessels and prevent thrombosis.
Video: how to relieve swelling of the legs using a set of exercises.
Esli tsesno ja ese takogo ne slishala. (((
The foot is the lower part of the leg that allows a person to walk, stand, etc. There are so many different problems associated with the feet that there is an entire separate branch of medicine that deals exclusively with the study of the foot. If the problem is with one of the bones in your foot, see BONE (PROBLEMS) and the description below.
Since the feet are associated with walking, they symbolize forward movement and development. Problems with the feet indicate that a person is not developing and is not moving forward. He either feels some kind of fear that stops him, or he allows others to hold back his development. He is not confident in himself and cannot give his life the desired direction. Problems with the feet can also arise if a person feels stuck and is marking time in one place. But this could also be a person who is not firmly attached to the earth or the physical world and would like to escape from reality. Some false fears force him to leave the material world for the spiritual world or the world of fantasy. Pain in the foot often haunts a person who is afraid that he may be kicked, that is, fired or otherwise removed from performing some functions.
If the pain in the foot intensifies at rest, this indicates that the person does not allow himself to rest. He is in too much of a hurry to achieve his goal, makes too much effort, because he evaluates himself in accordance with what and how he can do.
The foot is a very important part of your physical body. Your feet support you and allow you to move forward. They tell you that you should move briskly and easily, without straining. Your feet are constantly in contact with our caring Mother Earth, so problems with them indicate that you must stand firmly on your feet, be here and now, trust the world and your intuition. Move forward boldly and without hesitation use the means that you consider necessary for this movement. Don't let others step on your toes. This way you will accumulate a wealth of experience and discover new abilities in yourself. Feel confident and Life will support you.
Spiritual blockage and imprisonment
In order to understand the spiritual blockage that prevents you from satisfying an important need of your true Self, ask yourself the questions given in [link blocked by decision of the project administration] of this book. Answering these questions will allow you to more accurately determine the real cause of your physical problem.
Pain in the toes in most cases is caused by diseases such as arthritis, arthrosis or circulatory disorders.
A sign of arthritis of various types is periodic pain that occurs at night (most often at 3-4 o’clock). Each arthritis has its own specific fingers. For psoriatic and reactive arthritis, as well as gout (more common in men), pain in the big toe is most typical. The remaining toes may become inflamed due to rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthrosis of the big toe develops more often in women. The reason for this is long-term wearing of shoes with a narrow toe, while the big toe deviates strongly inward and is pressed against the second toe. The protruding bone receives additional trauma (rubbed by shoes) while walking and gradually becomes deformed. Later, not only the protruding bone, but also the entire joint is deformed. It becomes much wider than it was before. Movement in such a joint is sharply limited. With advanced arthrosis, the deformity usually fixes the finger in the wrong position so strongly that it is almost impossible to return it to its normal position.
If blood circulation in the feet is impaired, as well as with hyperactivity of the nerve endings of the legs, the following symptoms can be noticed: pain in the toes, burning in the feet, loss of sensitivity. There are two diseases with a similar set of symptoms: atherosclerosis of the arteries of the legs and obliterating endarteritis . With these ailments, blood circulation in the arteries of the legs is disrupted, and an insufficient amount of oxygen reaches the tissues. As a result, pain appears in the big toe, the remaining fingers, foot, and lower leg hurt, the skin becomes pale and dry, the growth of nails is disrupted (they become brittle and unhealthy), hair falls out on the legs, and the lower extremities are often cold.
Plantar fasciitis (Morton's neuroma) occurs due to increased pressure on the nerve and is characterized by pain at the base of the toe.
Chronic injuries in this area may also be the cause.
Diabetes may cause numbness in the feet and toes.
The growth of dead cells, the so-called hardenings, on the pads of the toes often have a root (nucleus), and especially often occur with large and prolonged pressure on the toes.
A nail that has grown into the skin is very unpleasant. To minimize discomfort, trim your nails carefully. Otherwise, severe pain or infection may develop.
Another cause of pain in the toes can be flat feet.
I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. A.A. Kryzhanovsky. for good treatment, I would really like to see him again. Also to my attending physician Savelyev V.A. for their attentive and responsible attitude towards their patients. And, of course, I would like to highlight chiropractor S.N. Paronko. for his wonderful hands. I will definitely recommend it to all my friends and, of course, will come back again. Thank you!
If your toes hurt, it is very unpleasant and prevents you from walking normally. In addition, such a symptom can signal quite serious health problems, so the cause of this condition must be found out as soon as possible. And after that you can begin treatment.
So, why do my toes hurt and what could be causing this? We list the main most common reasons:
What to do if your toes hurt. Your first step is to see a doctor . It is necessary! You can relieve pain with local anesthetics, but such measures will only provide temporary relief while the disease progresses and develops. So go see a therapist. After the examination, he will give you a referral to a neurologist, rheumatologist or surgeon. The specialist will prescribe x-rays or other diagnostic procedures that will help make the correct diagnosis.
Treatment will depend on what specific disease is causing the pain. Let's take a closer look at each case.
To never encounter such a problem, you need to follow some simple preventive measures:
Comfortable shoes are the key to good health of your feet!
Remember that self-medication can be dangerous to health and even life ! Good health to you!
Gout is a disease caused by a disorder of purine metabolism. It is characterized by an increase in the amount of uric acid in the blood, and deposits of its salts (urates) in the joint tissues.
Another characteristic symptom of gout is tophi, which look like foci of pathological compactions located in the subcutaneous tissue. They are usually localized above the affected joints, on the extensor surfaces of the legs and thighs, on the ears, on the Achilles tendons or on the forehead.
Arthritis is a chronic or acute inflammation of the joint and surrounding tissues. This pathology is one of the manifestations of any systemic connective tissue disease:
Isolated lesions of the toes in arthritis are quite rare. Most often, in such patients, the inflammatory process spreads to other joints. In addition, arthritis is very characterized by symmetrical pain, that is, damage to the same joints on both legs.
1. Limitation of movements in the joint.
2. Changes in its shape.
3. Unnatural crunching noise under load.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative-dystrophic disease of the joint that develops as a result of the destruction of cartilage tissue on the articular surface. With this pathology, pain initially occurs periodically, only after physical activity, and quickly disappears with rest. But as the disease progresses, the intensity of the pain increases; it does not disappear after rest, and may appear at night.
Inflammation of the joint capsule of the big toe with the accumulation of fluid (exudate) in its cavity is called bursitis. This pathology is characterized by swelling, pain, redness and heat in the area of the thumb.
Tendonitis is a whole group of inflammatory tendon lesions. In the event that the process affects not only the tendon, but also the surrounding membranes, they speak of the occurrence of tenosynovitis. The ligamentous apparatus of the big toe is susceptible to this disease due to its high traumatic nature. In addition, inflammation of the foot ligaments can cause pain not only in the big toe, but also in the rest of the toes.
The main symptoms of tendinitis are:
Among toe injuries, fractures of the phalangeal bones are the most common. This is due to the fact that the phalanges of the fingers are poorly protected from external influences, and these bones themselves are small in diameter and do not have significant strength. Most often, the terminal phalanges of the 1st and 2nd toes are susceptible to fractures, since they protrude significantly forward compared to the rest.
Pain and lameness from a fracture persist for a long time. A characteristic symptom is that to reduce pain, a person usually tries to shift the weight to the heel. Often the nail bed is also damaged, which subsequently serves as a site for infection.
Osteomyelitis is a purulent-necrotic process that occurs in the bone and bone marrow, affecting the surrounding soft tissue. The cause of this pathology is the penetration of microflora into the body that produces pus. Often, osteomyelitis in the toes develops as a complication of various bone pathologies, for example, with open fractures.
The patient's condition is greatly deteriorating, which is due to increasing intoxication of the body. This disease also manifests itself with the following symptoms:
In the first few days, severe pain appears in the foot, which can spread to the lower leg. Painful contractures develop in the affected bones and joints. Active movement of the toes is impossible, and passive movement is severely limited. Edema in the muscles and soft tissues of the foot and leg quickly increases. The skin over the affected area becomes purple in color and is very tense. Often a pronounced venous pattern appears on it.
The cause of pain in the toes may be a rotating nail. The big toe is most susceptible to this pathology. The development of this disorder is provoked by wearing uncomfortable shoes, as well as cutting nails too short.
Hallux valgus is a curvature of the metatarsophalangeal joint in which the big toe deviates towards its neighbors. The main reason for the development of this disorder is flat feet and weakness of the tendon-ligamentous apparatus. Additional factors that contribute to the occurrence of hallux valgus, and therefore an increase in pain, are wearing narrow shoes or shoes with excessively high heels.
In such cases, the occurrence of pain in the toes is associated with disorders of the musculoskeletal system in the form of clubfoot of varying severity. Due to improper positioning of the foot when walking, the load on it is unevenly distributed. The thumb is gradually pushed outward and upward, displacing the rest along with it.
The development of hammertoes is associated with flattening of the foot and increased pressure on it. Most often this occurs with flat feet.
The growths of dead cells that form dense hardenings on the skin are called calluses. In most cases, such growths occur on the balls of the toes, on the heels or on the lateral surfaces of the big toe. Often such hardening has a long base in the form of a root penetrating deeply into the tissue. Calluses are usually painless at rest, but have a pronounced pain intensity with exercise, walking and pressure on the affected area.
Morton's neuroma, or plantar fasciitis, is an inflammation of the foot's own ligaments. The cause of pain in this disease is too much pressure on the nerves that run along the arch of the foot. Women are susceptible to this pathology much more often than men, due to chronic microtrauma of the feet when wearing high-heeled shoes.
One of the common symptoms of diabetes is changes in sensation and pain in the toes that appear when walking. Also, with diabetes, a burning sensation in the feet is often observed, mainly at night. The cause of these conditions is poor circulation in the lower extremities and damage to nerve endings.
Pain in the toes may be a manifestation of damage to the arterial vessels of the lower extremities. Common symptoms for such diseases are:
1. Whitening of toes.
2. Pain during exercise.
Endarteritis is an inflammatory lesion of arterial vessels, which most often occurs in the lower extremities. A characteristic symptom of this disease is the so-called “intermittent claudication.” When walking begins, movements are relatively easy for the patient, but then pain, numbness and heaviness rapidly increase in the legs. All these symptoms disappear after a short rest, but appear again after the next few steps. In addition, endarteritis, as well as atherosclerotic lesions of the arteries of the lower extremities, is characterized by a frequent feeling of cold in the legs. Patients also often complain of cramps in the muscles of the legs.
The cause of pain in the toes may be atherosclerosis of the arteries of the lower extremities. This pathology occurs when cholesterol plaques are deposited on the inner surface of the walls of blood vessels.
Pain in the toes, especially in the spaces between them, may be a consequence of dermatological diseases. Most often these are massive fungal infections of the feet.
Establishing the correct diagnosis and prescribing therapy is best left to a specialist. If you experience pain in your toes, you should consult a traumatologist, rheumatologist or dermatologist. The best measures you can take on your own are:
Pain in the toes is caused by a wide range of different diseases, and therefore this symptom turns out to be a reason to contact various medical specialists whose competence includes the diagnosis and treatment of the disease that provoked them. Thus, the answer to the question of which doctor to contact for pain in the toes depends on what kind of disease the person is supposed to have. And the assumption of the disease is based not only on pain in the toes, but also on the basis of other existing symptoms. Thus, it is obvious that the choice of doctor to consult in a particular case of toe pain depends on other symptoms the person has. Below we will indicate which doctors of specialties you should contact depending on the accompanying symptoms.
Since pain in the toes is provoked by various pathologies, in each case, for this symptom, the doctor can prescribe various tests and examinations, which he chooses depending on the suspected disease. Accordingly, the list of examinations will always depend on the presumptive diagnosis, which is made by the doctor based on other symptoms the person has, in addition to pain. Therefore, below we will indicate what tests and examinations a doctor can prescribe for pain in the toes, depending on what other symptoms it is combined with.
If gout is suspected, the doctor usually prescribes all of the above tests, as they are necessary to confirm the suspected diagnosis. The most important tests for diagnosing gout are determining the concentration of uric acid in the blood, identifying crystals of uric acid salts in the joint fluid and the contents of tophi. Ultrasound of the kidneys may reveal urate stones. On x-rays, changes characteristic of gout become visible only five years after the onset of painful attacks in the joints.
First of all, if arthritis is suspected, blood tests are prescribed (general, biochemical, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, CIC, immunoglobulins), as this is necessary to confirm the inflammatory nature of the disease. So, if the blood tests are normal, then we are not talking about arthritis, and the doctor will have to additionally talk in detail and examine the patient again in order to make another presumptive diagnosis.
First of all, to exclude possible arthritis, the doctor prescribes a complete blood count and a blood test for C-reactive protein and rheumatoid factor. If all tests are normal, then we are talking about arthrosis, and to diagnose it, the doctor first of all prescribes x-rays and ultrasound. If technically possible, it is better to replace x-rays with computed tomography, as it allows you to obtain more data. As a rule, after an ultrasound and x-ray/tomography, the examination is not continued, since the results of these examinations are sufficient for an accurate diagnosis. But if arthrosis has led to severe deformation of the joints of the toes, inflammation of the joint capsule, ligaments or tendons, or there is a need for surgery, then magnetic resonance imaging is additionally prescribed.
Usually, X-rays and ultrasound are prescribed first. X-rays can detect bone deformations, and ultrasound can detect the neuroma itself. That is why the optimal method for diagnosing Morton's neuroma is ultrasound. Tomography is rarely prescribed, since although it allows identifying neuromas, its information content is lower than that of ultrasound.
To diagnose diabetes, a test for glucose levels in the blood and urine and a glucose tolerance test are required, the results of which are sufficient to make a diagnosis. Other analyzes can be neglected if they cannot be performed, since they are considered additional. Thus, the level of C-peptide in the blood makes it possible to distinguish between the first and second types of diabetes (but this can be done without tests), and the concentration of glycosylated hemoglobin makes it possible to assess the risk of complications. If the doctor suspects the presence of complications of diabetes (and with pain in the toes, their likelihood is high), then an ultrasound of the kidneys, rheoencephalography of the brain and rheovasography of the vessels of the legs are prescribed.
First, the doctor measures pressure, listens to heart sounds, determines the pulsation of the arteries of the legs, after which he necessarily prescribes ultrasound, Dopplerography, arteriography and rheovasography of the vessels of the lower extremities. In practice, in most cases, these studies are quite sufficient to make a diagnosis and distinguish between endarteritis and atherosclerosis, but in case of doubt, the doctor may additionally prescribe other tests from the above. Thus, to confirm atherosclerosis, angiography is prescribed, and endarteritis - thermography, capillaroscopy and functional tests.
Usually, the doctor first prescribes dermatoscopy, examination under a Wood's lamp, and microscopy of scrapings from the skin and nails, since these studies make it possible to make a diagnosis in most cases. However, if it was not possible to make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor prescribes sowing scrapings from the skin and fungus on nutrient media to determine the causative agent of the fungal infection and make a diagnosis.