It's possible to break one of your toes in all sorts of different ways. Something as simple as catching the toe on a hard piece of furniture when you're navigating your bedroom at night can cause a break, as can an impact during all sorts of different sports. If you have a broken toe, you might think that there's nothing to do. However, it's a myth that you can't receive various forms of care for a broken toe. It's a good idea to promptly see a local podiatrist, who is an expert in dealing with a multitude of foot-related problems. Here are three signs that your toe could be broken.
Swelling And Bruising
Two telltale signs of a broken toe are the emergence of swelling and bruising. These visual changes can arrive soon after the impact to the toe and should alert you to something being wrong. Swelling can cause the toe to increase significantly in size — perhaps to the point that it hurts to put the foot into certain shoes that you own. In terms of bruising, it's common for the bruising to cover a large percentage of the toe, giving your skin a purplish hue.
Pain
If you've ever stubbed your toe but not broken it, you know that the toe can be sore for a while but the pain will subside a short time later. In the case of a broken toe, you'll not only experience more pain than you've experienced in the past, but it will not subside rapidly. A broken toe can cause a significant amount of pain for a prolonged period. The toe will especially be sore when you put weight on it, often to the point that you have to change how you walk just to get around. The pain can also be present even when you're sitting or lying down.
Unusual Position
A combination of swelling, bruising, and severe pain will often be enough to alert you to your toe being broken, but many people also experience other symptoms. If the break is particularly severe, you might be able to easily see that your toe is sitting in a different position than it normally does. It may be angled outward, raised above your other toes, or look different in another way. If you're facing any of these indicators with one or more of your toes, contact a local podiatry clinic to explain the situation and schedule an appointment.
For more information, contact a podiatrist near you.
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