Content

• What you need

• Place the injured toe next to the normal toe in the same position on the other foot. If it was much larger than a healthy finger, then the chance would have fractured.

Observe the shape of the toe. When you compare the injured toe to the normal one on the other leg, do you notice that it's deformed or skewed? If this happens, it is likely that a badly fractured toe will need to be taken to the hospital immediately. Small cracks cannot change the shape of the toe.

Check for color change. When a toe breaks, unlike a normal stumble, a bruise usually appears and changes the color of the toe, turning red, yellow, blue or black. The toe was also bleeding, and all of these signs indicate a broken toe.

• If you can see through the skin and see a broken bone inside your toe, that's the surest sign and you should see your doctor right away.

Check by palpation. If you feel the bones moving inside, or there is unusual movement inside the toe (also it hurts!), Then the toe is more likely to be broken.

Know when to see a doctor. If your toe is sore, discolored, and swollen for several days, see your doctor. You may need to have an x-ray to confirm a fracture, and in many cases your doctor will advise you not to touch it and let your toe go away on its own. But if the fracture is severe, there must be additional treatment.

• If it is too painful to walk on your own, you should seek medical attention immediately.
• If your toe seems to be misaligned or distorted too much, get to the hospital immediately.
• Get emergency help if your toe becomes cold or tingling, or if it turns green due to lack of oxygen.

advertisement

Part 2 of 2: Caring for a Broken Toe

1. 

   
   
   Take regular care of your toes until you see a doctor. Put the ice cubes in a plastic bag and wrap the ice pack with a cloth, then place the ice pack on top of the injured toe. Use the compress for 20 minutes at a time and do so until seen by your doctor. Ice helps to reduce swelling and stabilize the toe condition. You should raise your foot whenever possible and do not walk far on the injured leg.
   • Do not apply ice for more than 20 minutes continuously as you can damage the skin of your toes if left on too long.
   • If you want, take a pain reliever like ibuprofen or aspirin.

2. 

   Follow your doctor's instructions. During the exam, your doctor will take x-rays and show you how to care for your toe. In some cases, the doctor has to straighten the bone, but if the fracture is too severe they need surgery to place staples or snail to the toe, fix the bone inside.

3. 

   Rest your toes. At first, do not participate in activities that caused the injury, and avoid doing activities that put pressure on your toes. Light walking, swimming or cycling may be okay, but you may not run or play any impact sports for many weeks afterwards. In general, you should rest your toes for the amount of time your doctor recommends.
   • When you are at home, keep your feet up to reduce swelling.
   • After weeks of healing, begin to use your toes slowly again. If you feel pain, reduce the intensity to give your toe time to rest.

4. 

   Change the dressing if necessary. Most fractures or fractures do not require a cast, instead your doctor will show you how to "bandage" the broken toe with the finger next to it. This is a way to keep your broken toe from shaking and avoid re-injury. Ask your doctor or nurse to tell you how to change the bandages and medical gauze after a few days to keep the area clean.
   • If, after the bandage, the toe loses feeling or changes color, the tape may be tied too tightly. If so, remove it immediately and have your doctor instruct it to tie it up.
   • People with diabetes should not wear toe pads, instead they should follow their doctor's instructions by wearing special flat-sole orthopedic shoes.

5. 

   Take care of a severe wound as directed by your doctor. If the fracture is quite severe and requires a cast, splint, or special shoe, then give your toes complete rest for 6 to 8 weeks. Surgical fractures take even longer time to cure. Also, during rest time, you will have to re-examine many times to make sure the fracture is healing as planned.
   • Absolutely follow your doctor's advice when taking care of a severe wound, otherwise it will take longer than necessary for the fracture to heal.
   advertisement

What you need

• Ice bag
• Adhesive tape and medical gauze