If your big toes hurt

Why do my big toes hurt?

Many people complain that their big toes hurt. The causes of discomfort can be very diverse, from injury or ordinary calluses to arthrosis and chronic diseases. In any case, you should not ignore the pain, especially if it torments you constantly. In such situations, it is better to seek help from a doctor as soon as possible.

Quite often, the cause may be hardened skin on the side of the nail. Such areas are formed as a result of the accumulation of dead epithelial cells. This problem is faced by many people who do not take sufficient care of the skin of their feet, as well as wear uncomfortable or too tight shoes. This can be easily dealt with using emollients and warm baths.

Unfortunately, the causes of discomfort are not always so harmless. Here are just some of the most common prerequisites:

• For example, pain in the big toes can be caused by the plate growing into the skin of the nail fold. A similar phenomenon can be caused by nail injuries, uneven and short cutting, wearing uncomfortable shoes, etc. In any case, an ingrown plate is accompanied by pain, redness and swelling of the tissue. Often this problem is associated with a secondary infection, resulting in the formation of an area of ​​suppuration. With this you need to go to the doctor - self-medication is unlikely to achieve results here.
• With arthrosis of the joint, the big toes also hurt. Moreover, female representatives most often face this problem. Such statistics are primarily associated with the constant wearing of uncomfortable shoes with narrow toes and high heels, which leads to deformation of the joint of the sore toe.
• But males are more prone to a disease called gout. The disease is accompanied by disruption of normal kidney function and the deposition of uric acid crystals inside the joint, which, of course, leads to discomfort and pain while walking.
• If your big toe joint hurts, this may indicate the development of arthritis. It is accompanied by pain, redness and swelling of the skin. During the disease, inflammation is observed, which occurs both as a result of malnutrition of the joint and due to the penetration of infection.
• Big toes also hurt in people suffering from flat feet. The fact is that deformation of the foot leads to a redistribution of body weight, as a result of which some joints are subjected to heavy loads. Only an orthopedic doctor can help with this problem - he will select shoes.
• In some cases, pain is associated with disruption of normal blood circulation, which leads to a deficiency of oxygen and nutrients in the tissues. The pathology is usually accompanied by numbness, cooling of the fingers, as well as pain, which intensifies with physical activity. Impaired blood flow can be the result of atherosclerosis, diabetes, smoking, etc.

In any case, it is worth remembering that if you periodically have pain in your big toes, then you should not ignore this symptom - be sure to make an appointment with a doctor. After all, timely treatment will help prevent the development of complications.

Why do my toes hurt?

Pain that occurs in the toes, as in any other location, brings great discomfort to a person. It can be dull, aching, throbbing or sharp, depending on the cause of its occurrence. Usually, toes hurt due to diseases such as:

Also, severe pain in the toes can be caused by ingrown nails, improper trimming and filing of which leads to a piece of the nail plate cutting into the skin, causing suppuration and other inflammatory processes. As a result, the toes become very swollen and painful, making it difficult for the patient to walk and lead a normal life. Those who in such cases do not seek medical help in time risk being left without a finger altogether, since an ingrown nail can lead to gangrene.

Toes hurt: reasons

Depending on the type of arthritis, different toes hurt. With the reactive and psoriatic form of this disease, pain and inflammation occur in the big toes, as well as with gout. Rheumatoid causes pain and inflammation in various combinations and variations in the other four. Despite the fact that arthritis spreads to different fingers, any type of this disease is characterized by an inflammatory rhythm of pain that occurs at 3-4 am.

People call arthrosis of the big toe gout, but in reality it has nothing to do with it. Of course, gout also affects and hurts the toes, but it occurs much less frequently, and mainly in men. Arthrosis mostly affects women who wear high-heeled shoes with narrow toes. These shoes press and tilt the big toes inward towards the second toe. As a result of the deviation, small cartilaginous growths begin to protrude and gradually become deformed. They are what keep the big toes in a straight position and, when wearing the right shoes, prevent them from bending.

Over time, not only the cartilage deforms, but also the entire joint - it becomes wider than required, and movement in it is sharply limited. With advanced arthrosis, the toes become swollen and painful due to incorrect positioning; returning them to their natural position is almost impossible. On top of this, crooked big toes put pressure on the next ones, which leads to a combined deformation of the entire foot.

Another reason why toes hurt is Morton's neuroma or, as it is also called, plantar fasciitis. The disease causes increased pressure and pinching of the nerve endings at the base of the toes (second, third and fourth). Pain sensations appear in this area, which gradually intensify and become unbearable when walking and carrying heavy objects; the pain can radiate to the remaining fingers and towards the calves.

Diabetes causes problems with blood vessels and hyperactivity of nerve endings, which causes numbness in the foot as a whole. When walking, the joints of the toes hurt, and there is often a burning sensation in the feet, even at rest.

Diseases of the arteries of the legs (atherosclerosis or obliterating endarteritis) can also be the reasons why the toes hurt. These diseases are accompanied by noticeable pallor and dryness of all or some fingers, as well as brittle nails and hair loss on the legs.

My toes hurt: what to do?

If you experience pain in your toes, you should immediately contact an experienced specialist. Depending on the cause of the pain, the following doctors can help in such cases:

If a patient has pain in the joints of his toes, doctors, first of all, recommend reducing the load on them. Then, depending on the cause, medication or surgery may be prescribed.

When pain is caused by vascular diseases or metabolic disorders, it is necessary to eradicate the root cause of the disease. Limiting the consumption of carbohydrates and animal fats is necessary for those who have pain in their toes due to atherosclerosis. It is also important to control body weight for those whose primary cause of symptoms is diabetes.

If pain is provoked by gout, the patient is strongly advised to limit the consumption of alcoholic beverages, meat and fatty foods, coffee, cocoa, strong black and green tea, and also to exclude bath procedures during treatment.

For those who have pain in their toes due to ingrown toenails, the direct route is to the podiatry or surgery department. It is very difficult to cure a nail in advanced cases on your own; you need to know many nuances and have special tools with you. It is important to observe the rules of personal hygiene: thoroughly wash your feet with soap several times a day, wear clean socks made of natural fabric, and also exclude shoes that restrict the movement of your feet from your wardrobe.

Fractures or severe injuries to the toes, which also cause pain, especially in the first few hours after the incident, require immediate medical attention.

Whatever the reason why your toes hurt, only a doctor after a thorough examination can tell you what to do and what methods can be used to get rid of it. Self-medication in such cases is not worth it - without knowing the exact diagnosis and using the wrong treatment, you can only aggravate an already painful condition.

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