Arthritis is a condition that is characterized by inflammation of the joints. It causes swelling, discomfort, and stiffness in joints. It also results in pain and tissue damage. There are different types of arthritis. The two most common arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Other types of arthritis include psoriatic arthritis, gout, and hallux rigidus. Osteoarthritis is the breakdown of cartilage between your joints.
It occurs as a result of the general wear and tear of your joints. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can be treated with different treatment options ranging from medications to therapy and to surgery. Psoriatic arthritis is associated with a condition known as Psoriasis.
It affects some people with psoriasis. Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that causes the development of red plaques on the skin. It is common on the scalp, back, and around the joints.
Psoriasis causes swollen toes and fingers. Gout is another type of arthritis that is characterized by sudden soreness, swelling, and stiffness around the joints. It often affects the big toe joint also known as the metatarsophalangeal joint.
It causes crystals to form within and around the joints which result in inflammation and pain. Gout is typically treated at Graff Foot and Ankle with a cortisone injection into the joint which will resolve the pain within hours. We then determine a long term plan to treat the gout.
Hallux rigidus is another type of arthritis. It affects the metatarsophalangeal joint at the bottom of the big toe. This condition leads to inflammation in this joint that can cause pain and stiffness in your toe.
This condition causes pain, redness and the toe becomes inflamed. Treatment of Ingrown Toenail Ingrown toenail can be treated with:. Your toes may also feel itchy and you may get some blistering, with the colour of the toes changing to a purple-blue over time.
This can be done by letting them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before jumping into the warm shower, or putting socks on to help gradually warm the feet before putting them by the warm fire. If you do get any blistering or breaks in the skin then keep an eye out for infection — and if one develops, or your pain becomes severe, see your podiatrist.
This makes us here in Australia particularly vulnerable, with our climate leading to many of us spending our days with warm, sweaty feet in our enclosed work boots or sports shoes.
Contact dermatitis describes skin inflammation that is caused by direct contact with an irritant or an allergen. Alongside the redness across the toes and any other areas that come in contact with the allergens, you may also experience skin tenderness, dryness, itching, burning and rashes that can break the skin and make you vulnerable to infection. Treating contact dermatitis involves identifying the source of the irritation and avoiding direct contact.
Your GP may be able to prescribe medication to help manage your symptoms, while our podiatry team helps patients reduce their risk of infection, confirming their diagnosis, and ruling out other causes of toe redness and pain. The most common injuries to the toes we see are from:. Pain You may develop pain in the front ball of your foot metatarsalgia or in your heel. Sharp pain on the bottom of your heel may be caused by plantar fasciitis.
Pain in the back of your heel and ankle may be caused by Achilles tendinitis or tendinosis tendinopathy or retrocalcaneal bursitis.
Pain that is worse before or after exercise but improves during exercise may be caused by a stress fracture of a bone in your foot usually a metatarsal bone. Small bony growths under your heel bone may be a heel spur.
Pain in your mid-foot may be caused by "fallen arches" or by being flat-footed. Pain or a bump on the back of the heel is a type of bursitis called Haglund's deformity. Numbness or tingling Many conditions may affect the nerves of the foot and cause numbness, tingling, and burning. Pain, burning, tingling, or numbness that occurs between your toes, especially the third and fourth toes, and in the ball of your foot may be caused by a growth around the nerves Morton's neuroma.
Pain, numbness, and tingling that begins in your back or buttock, moves down your leg, and into your foot may be sciatica , caused by a pinched nerve nerve root compression.
Foot and ankle pain that occurs with numbness and weakness in your foot may be caused by a pinched nerve in your ankle tarsal tunnel syndrome or back sciatica. Burning, numbness, or lack of feeling in your feet may be caused by poor circulation, especially in people who have diabetes or peripheral arterial disease. The circulation problem can lead to nerve damage peripheral neuropathies.
Foot problems are more likely to develop in people who have these conditions. Check Your Symptoms Do you have a toe, foot, or ankle problem? This includes symptoms like pain and changes in the way your feet look or feel. How old are you? Less than 5 years. Are you male or female? Why do we ask this question? The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have. If you are transgender or non-binary, choose the sex that matches the body parts such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina you now have in the area where you are having symptoms.
If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice once as "male" and once as "female".
This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you. Did you injure the toe, foot, or ankle in the past month? Have you had toe, foot, or ankle surgery in the past month? If a cast, splint, or brace is causing the problem, follow the instructions you got about how to loosen it. Do you have a problem with your nails? This means a problem that affects the nails only and not any other part of the limb no other parts of the finger or hand or of the toe or foot.
Has sudden, severe weakness or severe numbness affected the whole leg or the whole foot? Weakness is being unable to use the leg or foot normally no matter how hard you try.
Pain or swelling may make it hard to move, but that is not the same thing as weakness. When did it start? Think about when you first noticed the weakness or numbness or when you first noticed a major change in the symptoms. Less than 4 hours ago. From 4 hours to 2 days 48 hours ago. From 2 days to 2 weeks ago. More than 2 weeks ago. Do you still have any weakness or numbness? Has the weakness or numbness:. Gotten worse?
Stayed about the same not better or worse? Gotten better? Is the foot or are any of the toes blue, very pale, or cold and different from the other foot or toes? If the foot or leg is in a cast, splint, or brace, follow the instructions you got about how to loosen it. Foot or toes are blue, very pale, or cold and different from other foot or toes.
Is there any pain in the toes, foot, or ankle? How bad is the pain on a scale of 0 to 10, if 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain you can imagine? Signs of pain in a baby or toddler are different than signs of pain in an older child. Has the pain:. Is there a new limp? Do you have any pain in your toes, foot, or ankle?
How long has the pain lasted? Less than 2 full days 48 hours. More than 2 weeks. Do you think the problem may be causing a fever? Are there any symptoms of infection? Are there red streaks leading away from the area or pus draining from it? Do you have diabetes, a weakened immune system , peripheral arterial disease, or any surgical hardware in the area? Diabetes, immune problems, peripheral arterial disease, or surgical hardware in affected area. Are you having trouble moving the foot or toes?
Is it very hard to move or somewhat hard to move? Very hard. Somewhat hard. How long have you had trouble moving the foot or toes? Less than 2 days. Has the loss of movement been:. Getting worse? Staying about the same not better or worse?
Getting better? Is there any swelling? Do you have any new shortness of breath or chest pain? When this occurs with swelling or deep pain in one leg, it can be a symptom of a blood clot that has moved from the leg to the lung. Have you been urinating a lot less than usual lately? Is the swelling getting worse over hours or days? Is there a painful lump, bump, growth, or thickened area on the foot or toe?
Have you had toe, foot, or ankle problems for more than 2 weeks? These include: Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker. Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner.
Medicines you take. Certain medicines, such as blood thinners anticoagulants , medicines that suppress the immune system like steroids or chemotherapy, or natural health products can cause symptoms or make them worse.
Recent health events , such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious. Your health habits and lifestyle , such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel.
Try Home Treatment You have answered all the questions. Try home treatment to relieve the symptoms. Call your doctor if symptoms get worse or you have any concerns for example, if symptoms are not getting better as you would expect.
You may need care sooner. Pain in children under 3 years It can be hard to tell how much pain a baby or toddler is in. Severe pain 8 to 10 : The pain is so bad that the baby cannot sleep, cannot get comfortable, and cries constantly no matter what you do. The baby may kick, make fists, or grimace. Moderate pain 5 to 7 : The baby is very fussy, clings to you a lot, and may have trouble sleeping but responds when you try to comfort him or her.
Mild pain 1 to 4 : The baby is a little fussy and clings to you a little but responds when you try to comfort him or her. Pain in children 3 years and older Severe pain 8 to 10 : The pain is so bad that the child can't stand it for more than a few hours, can't sleep, and can't do anything else except focus on the pain. No one can tolerate severe pain for more than a few hours. Moderate pain 5 to 7 : The pain is bad enough to disrupt the child's normal activities and sleep, but the child can tolerate it for hours or days.
Mild pain 1 to 4 : The child notices and may complain of the pain, but it is not bad enough to disrupt his or her sleep or activities. Long-term alcohol and drug problems.
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