red, swollen toes

[Unregistered]

too it started about a week or two ago. On my right 2nd toe, I too thought it may be an ingrown nail or athletes foot. Then it was on the bottom on the ball of the left foot same toe and I have same red bump on both my pink toes almost like a shoe rubbing but I know it’s not my shoes rubbing. the first week I noticed it and looked for athletes foot cures. so I did the whole vinegar/bleach water soak and Vicks vapor rub. Also use athletes foot/ring worm typical ointments. it stated to go away so I thought and reappeared a few days to a week later. I am still stumped been trying to do my own diagnose because every time I go to the doctors for anything they never know what I have and just waste mine and their time and nothing ever gets solved.

[Unregistered]

I have had this same problem for about seven years, i can not find a diagnosis but maybe
i can help with some relief. I beleive this is brought on by stress, the more stressful,
the worse the redness, swelling and uncontrolable itch. it happens mainly during the winter
months, which is another oddity. i find relief from the redness & itching by applying an
ice cube over the tops of my toes, my toes are usually very hot to the touch when they
itch real bad, at night i can use a cold wet washcloth draped over my toes until the itch
subsides so that i can sleep.

i recently sold my business after many years and i had no symptoms at all and thought
i had overcome the condition, however i am now seeking employment and it is back with
a vengence.

i hope my sugestions will help give others some relief.

[gr8tful]

Here is a picture of chiblains. This is what my toes look like in the winter, but this picture isn't my foot. Reynauds phenomonem can cause chiblains too. But chiblains cannot cause Reynauds phenomonem.
The weird thing with this is... if you get a cut in the red swollen area, it will have clear liquid seep out of it as if it was a blister.

http://en.wikinoticia.com/lifestyle/...lains-remedies

[Unregistered]

OMG, this problem has been driving me crazy for several weeks now...or probably for 2-3 months. I was puzzled as it started with one toe getting red, very itchy and swollen. I thought at first that it was insect bite. After several days I started to think that it was some infection in the blood. I completely dismissed a possibility of athlete foot as I am obsessed with my feet hygiene and change socks several times a day and wash my feet more often than I wash my hands (and I constantly wash my hands) ) The itching and burning was very disturbing and wearing any shoes became quite painful. Then the redness and itching spread to the next toe so I knew it wasn't a bite. It was really weird because the two toes also started to get greyish/blue from time to time. I thought it might be food allergy as itching was worse if I had something sweet and unbearable if I ate chocolate! I started using anti insect bite creams and it really helped reduce itching but not the redness or swelling. It never even occurred to me that the problem is frost bite because before moving to the UK I lived for 30 years in very cold climate with -25/30 C during the winter and never had anything like this! But thinking back now it all makes sense as we had extremely cold November/December and that's when my problem started. Thanks to everyone who posted info here. At least I know now that it is not some terrible infection I am using some of the remedies (lemon, honey, onion) plus the best warm wrap in the world - my cat. It works

[Unregistered]

I have have some of the very same symptoms. I have swelling, redness, and pain in my toes. It has affected various toes and has been occurring for the past 2 months. Each time it happens there is a reddish knot that forms and it is very tender/ sore to the touch. The toe that the "knot" is on becomes swollen and when I sleep at night I get constantly woke up due to the throbbing/ shooting pain. Lately I have also had tingly and itchy sensations in the bothered area. Doctors 1st guessed infection, then gout (blood test showed normal levels of uric acid), and now they think I have Reynaud's Phenomenon and want to put me on a blood pressure medication (even though my blood pressure is fine) to open up the blood vessels. I am really apprehensive to try this. All that I have read about Reynaud's says that if there is pain associated with it then you must have some other underlying condition. I am just very frustrated and wish I KNEW what was going on. Doctors just seem to be guessing. Nice to know I'm not alone though.

[Unregistered]

I too have had the same problem and after reading everyones posts on the internet, i did some research on my own.....it turns out I am allergic to the black dye used in my shoes....so if you are wearing black shoes, tennis shoes etc....you could be allergic to them. I am using Aveeno coallidel oatmeal to soak them in and then using a cortisone topical treatment to help with the itching and burning. Hope this helps

I too am having this "red toe " thing going on. It started this winter Feb. 2011. I always wear my shoes, even in the house until I go to bed at night, but..I started removing them, and walking around in my stocking feet on the cold floor because of a very small puppy we have aquired. I didn't want to take the chance of stepping on him with shoes on. Ever since, my middle toes on my left foot started getting red and swollen. I have this black dot at the end of my toe nail, and my toe is very sensitive to the touch. Now the toe next to it is starting to get red as well. Cold seems to make it worse. Sometimes it itches, and sometimes its numb, but yet sensitive to touch. This is very weird. Hope someone has answers soon.

[Leo Montreal]

Same symptoms, Red - itchy - sore - mainly around the toe nail. Not caused by the cold though because it has persisted through the summer months.
It’s not athletes foot (playing sports seems to alleviate the problem to a degree ) or frost bite ( happens during summer months as well ) , but may be
caused by poor circulation, as it usually starts or flares up when I’m sitting down for long periods.

[Kremora]

Thank you, you have given my daughter and me some hope! My 12 year old daughter has been suffering with sporadic pain and swelling in her toes for weeks now. Sometimes it's just one toe, then an hour later more toes swell up, then the swelling subsides. She has constant pain, though, regardless of if they're swelling or not. Doctor has done blood tests which came back normal, so is sending her to an ortho. Her toes aren't as red as the pics of chilblain toes, but we'll definitely look more into that. Thing is, we live in sunny southern California! I will be following this post and posting on it as we get nearer (hopefully) to a diagnosis.

About reynauds... I have it. Had it for almost 40 years, and I too had a toe with a painful, discolored tip... GO GET IT CHECKED OUT! I had one doctor tell me my shoes were too tight, the next doctor (saw him for a totally different reason but we got to talking about my cold feet) called the previous doctor an idiot and said if it went untreated for any longer, I would have lost my toe! Treatment was soaking it in warm water to improve circulation. It's never come back.

Thank you again, and good luck to you all!

[danuk]

Same Symptoms Diagnosed as Fungal Infection

I have this too - red shiny swelling on distall joint and by nail bed. On middle and 4th toes on left foot and 2nd toe on right foot. It flares up and then eases down every so often. Sometimes sensation feels dulled, and cold seems to make it worse. It can be quite painful, like pain from cold ice - burning and aching. I thought it was from cold - chillblanes or the like, but as this can also be loss of circulation indicating diabetes etc. so thought I'd better get it checked out.

I rang NHS Direct who said I should see my GP same day. The GP recognized it immediately as a fungal infection. These apparent often start at toe nail and then spread. Toe nail can becomes a bit thicker and gets lines or ridges - and sometimes gets black/dark areas. (there were these indcators on one foot but not the other). It needs immediate treatment otherwise the blood supply starts going and tissue dies - eventually can loose the toe. Treatment is anti-fungal medicine - Terbinafine - one a day - for 3 months. She's also doing a full blood test to check that there isn't perhaps also diabetes, gout etc. at same time. Apparently this is infectious too - and can pass it on to others by contact. Wash socks separately in very hot / medic wash etc. Home remedies are unlikely to help if this is what you have.