Toe Swelling
Reasons for toe swelling
Toe swelling can be caused by many different things. The most common problem which causes toe swelling is an injury. Injuries can range from mild to severe. You may even have an injury that you’re unaware of. For example, a stress fracture can cause toe swelling. People are more prone to stress fractures if they often engage in intense physical injury that puts stress on the feet and toes.
If it’s pretty clear that a specific injury is to blame for your toe swelling, then it’s important to look at other factors which will indicate what kind of injury you have. For example, if there is redness or swelling on top of your foot in addition to on your toes, then you may have damaged the tendons. Ice and an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication will help your tendon heal within a few days in most cases.
If the pain is so severe that you have trouble walking or bending your toes, then you may have a broken toe. You will definitely need to see a doctor so he can set the fracture. Setting it is important so the bone will heal properly.
Another common problem that results in toe swelling is known as turf toe. This is essentially a sprained big toe, and it usually involves pain and swelling just in your big toe. It usually begins right after you jammed, hit, or twisted the toe. This can indicate either a broken toe or a pulled ligament.
Another reason your toe may be swelling up is if you have arthritis. If the swelling appears to be in one of your toe joints, then it’s pretty clear that arthritis is a likely culprit. Another common joint problem in the toe is gout. This problem typically affects men who are over the age of 40. Gout is caused by having too much uric acid in the blood.
Other health problems that can cause toe swelling include diabetes, kidney and liver disorders, and allergies. Some medications can even cause toe swellings. You also may have a swollen toe if you wear ill-fitting shoes or consume too much salt. Salt increases swelling in all joints, so it may be the culprit if you notice that other joints are also swollen.
Ill-fitting shoes can cause all kinds of toe and feet problems. Bunions are one problem that can cause toe swelling. Other symptoms of a bunion are pain and a bony callus in the area. Many people develop bunions when their big toe points toward the second toe, causing a bump on the inside edge of the toe.
An ingrown toenail can also cause the toe to swell. An ingrown toenail can be very painful. It occurs when a toenail grows down and into the skin of the toe. This problem is pretty obvious because there is usually redness and swelling around the toenail.
If you don’t have any other obvious symptoms, then you should take your swollen toe to a doctor to get it checked out and find out why it swelled up.