Why does the toe swell? The causes of this pathological condition will be listed below. We will also tell you which doctor should be consulted for a similar phenomenon and what should be done in this case.
basic information
If you have a swollen toe, this may indicate the presence of several diseases. However, one should not immediately panic, because such a phenomenon does not always indicate serious changes in the body. Very often, this pathological condition is associated with wearing uncomfortable or tight shoes.
Which doctor should I go to?
What to do if swollen toe? First of all, you should contact an experienced doctor. As it may be several specialists. First you need to visit a local therapist. After the survey and examination, the doctor will be able to refer you to a narrower specialist.
If a person has a sore toe, then he may need a consultation:
- neurologist;
- surgeon
- endocrinologist;
- traumatologist;
- angiosurgeon;
- podolog.
Why is the big toe swollen? Probable reasons
The cause of such a pathology should be identified only by an experienced specialist. As medical practice shows, swelling, pain and redness of the phalanx on the lower extremities can be associated with the following diseases:
It should also be noted that such a phenomenon is often caused by injuries and injuries of various kinds.
To understand how it is necessary to treat a patient, if he has a swollen toe, it is necessary to identify the presence of one or another deviation. Consider all the features of the above diseases in more detail.
Arthrosis of the joints
Swelling and reddening of the toe - such symptoms often indicate the development of arthrosis. This is a pathology caused by degenerative-dystrophic disorders in the cartilage tissue.
The cause of the development of such a disease may be deformation changes in the lower extremities (for example, flat feet or asymmetry). In overweight patients, such a disease occurs in 58% of cases.
Also, the development of arthrosis can cause daily heavy physical exertion. If the athlete’s toe is swollen, then this is not surprising. Indeed, the phalanges of the lower extremities in such people very often deform and swell against the background of regular bruises, injuries and sprains.
Diseases of the thyroid gland and metabolic disorders also become common causes of arthrosis.
Main symptoms
Arthrosis of the joint of the big toe can manifest itself in different ways. Conventionally, the course of such a pathology is divided into 3 stages:
- First, the patient has periodic pain in the foot, which most often occurs in the evening. They amplify with increased load.
- The second - a person has a sore toe. Moreover, such sensations become regular and appear not only in the evening, but also in the daytime. The thumb is noticeably deformed and swollen, and the bone on the leg becomes visible to the naked eye.
- The third - due to inflammation, the pain syndrome becomes intolerable, and the deformation of the phalanx increases significantly. The big toe goes down, and this contributes to the physical changes of nearby bones.
Diagnosis and treatment
Diagnosis of arthrosis should be carried out by a surgeon or rheumatologist. Sometimes, a visual examination is sufficient to determine this disease.
Treatment of such a disease is complex. For this, they use NSAIDs and follow a diet, and also include physiotherapy and gymnastics in the daily routine.
Gout
If your toe is swollen, this may indicate the development of gout. As a rule, such a disease occurs due to impaired metabolic processes. Most often, they confirmed men from 45 years old. If gout is not started to be treated on time, then it will completely destroy the phalanx.
With this disease, the big toe swells and hurts quite a lot. Such sensations are paroxysmal in nature and can last for 5-22 days. After 3 attacks, the phalanx begins to gradually collapse.
To relieve pain with gout, cold can be applied to the affected area.
Gout Treatment
Therapy for such a disease is complex. Her course includes magnetotherapy, laser therapy, phonophoresis and massage using electrostatic fields.
It is pointless to treat a thumb tumor with gout on its own. Therapy should be carried out only in a specialized hospital.
Felon
A common cause of swelling and tenderness of the big toe is panaritium. This pathological phenomenon can be observed near the nail, on the back side under the epidermis, as well as under the nail and near the periungual roller.
If all the appropriate measures are not taken in time, then the inflammatory process can quite easily go to the bone, tendon or joint.
The main symptoms of panaritium may be the following:
- the phalanx greatly swells;
- the thumb blushes noticeably;
- pain sometimes has a “twitching" character;
- over time, a cyst appears on the finger, which is filled with pus and a sacrum.
The cause of the development of panaritium and, as a consequence, finger tumors is the inflammatory process that occurs due to infection in the tissue (for example, through burrs, cracks or microranes).
Less often, a similar disease develops against a background of fungal foot disease.
How to get rid?
If you have a swollen toe due to the development of panaritium, then you should immediately consult a doctor in order to avoid serious complications that can contribute to the occurrence of foot deformity or gangrene.
Treatment of such an inflammatory process involves surgical opening of the purulent cavity, as well as drainage, taking anti-inflammatory drugs, treating the thumb with local antiseptics, and using drugs that strengthen the immune system.
Various injuries and injuries
If a toe is bruised, then very soon it may turn red and swell. However, such symptoms do not always occur after a strong blow of the lower limb. Sometimes the described symptoms arise from imperceptible daily injuries, which a person may not even suspect.
People involved in physical labor or professional sports very often experience pain in the big toes. Experts attribute this to the fact that the load on the lower limbs of athletes is always enormous. At the same time, fingers that do not perform the main supporting function may simply not cope with it. It is from this that damage appears in the bones of the phalanges, including cracks and fractures. All these pathological phenomena are almost always accompanied by swelling and localized pain.
Therapies
So what to do if a toe bruised? If, over time, the site of injury is swollen or reddened, you should immediately contact a traumatologist. The same applies to a symptom such as pain.
To detect damage to the phalanx, the doctor must examine and interview the patient. However, this is not enough to diagnose a dislocation or fracture. To this end, the doctor may prescribe an x-ray. Further specialist actions should be aimed at immobilizing the injured area (for example, the application of gypsum), as well as the appointment of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. In addition, the patient may be recommended to take calcium and B vitamins, which will contribute to the speedy restoration of the injured joint.
Other causes of toe swelling
If during the medical examination all of the above reasons for swelling of the toe were rejected, then doctors prescribe additional research methods that will make it possible to make a more accurate diagnosis.
In addition to arthrosis, gout, panaritium and injuries, the following diseases can contribute to the development of such a pathological condition:
- Lymphodema - fluid retention associated with pathology of the lymphatic system, and, as a result, swelling of the fingers.
- Venous insufficiency often leads to swelling of the ankles, fingers and lower legs, as well as cramps and pain in the legs.
- Finger splinter - when swelling, fingers should be carefully checked for a spike or splinter.
- Allergic reactions, including to insect bites and medications, also cause swelling of the toes.
- Various infectious processes, including bacterial and fungal, often lead to redness, swelling and itching of the toes.
If you suspect such conditions, you should immediately contact a qualified doctor.