Have you ever stubbed your toe so hard you think you may have broken it? Breaking a toe can be a great nuisance. We tend not to think too much about our toes, but in reality, they provide us with a lot of balance and support. When we break one of them, our balance suffers, making it difficult to walk and complete basic tasks. Here are some ways you can tell if a toe is broken or if you just bruised it pretty badly.
Toe Fracture’s & possible causes
A broken toe or toe fracture is when one or more of the toe bones breaks or fractures. This typically occurs after an accident or injury to the whole foot or just the toes. Those that fracture their toe will often experience some numbing or tingling in the toe at first, followed by severe swelling. If the toe is just badly hurt, the swelling and bruising should go down quite easily, whereas a fractured toe will take a bit more time and energy to heal. Sometimes the fracture will need to be put back into place or a splint will need to be worn for a few weeks.
Depending on the injury, if an open wound occurred or some bleeding, you may also need to get a tetanus shot or take antibiotics to avoid an infection. Fractures may also be caused by repetitive movements, which usually occur in sports. Other causes include stubbing a toe, dropping a heavy object on the toe, or getting kicked or stepped on while playing a sport.
Signs & Symptoms
There are some basic signs & symptoms you will experience if your toe is broken:
- Bruising
- Swelling
- Stiffness
- Throbbing pain
- Deformity of the toe
- Broken or chipped toenail
- Inability or difficulty walking or running
You may find that it’s difficult to walk while your toe takes time to heal. This may also prevent you from wearing certain shoes if there’s a significant amount of swelling. You may want to switch to open-toed shoes, such as sandals, while the toe heals or get yourself a pair of wide footed shoes.
If the broken toe is your pinky toe, you may still be able to walk, but you may hobble around for a little while. Sometimes a toe injury also affects the nail: it may have broken the nail altogether or some blood may have collected underneath the toenail as a result of an injury. This is called subungual hematoma and it calls for the blood to be drained out from under the toenail. An injury doctor in Orange County can do this easily by making a tiny hole in the toenail. However, if the amount of blood is too big, the entire toenail may need to be removed.
In some severe cases, the broken toe bone may protrude through the skin. This is called an open or compound fracture and would require immediate medical assistance. Surgery is oftentimes necessary for these cases.
Healing a Broken Toe
Healing a broken toe is quite simple, provided it’s not a severe case. With proper icing and rest, your toe should heal by itself within six weeks. Sometimes a splint is needed to help with healing or in severe cases, you may need surgery. This is why it’s so it’s important to check in with your doctor about the seriousness of your case. After your broken toe has healed, you should be able to resume normal activities. If the toe does not heal properly or the fracture is serious, you may still experience some stiffness, pain, or deformity in the toe.
If you think your toe is broken, be sure to get in touch with a professional to help diagnose the severity of your case. Call Integrated Injury today at 657-888-2683 or visit their website. Integrate Injury will put you on the fast track to personal injury management in no time.
