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Swollen itchy toes

Discussion in 'Ask your questions here' started by mumofthree, Jun 27, 2010.

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  1. mumofthree

    mumofthree Guest


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    When I took my work shoes off the other night, the 2nd and 3rd toes on my left foot became incredibly itchy and swelled up. The top of the foot is also swollen.
    When I wake in the morning it is the worst. They are red, tight, swollen, and very itchy. During the day once i get moving they feel a little better and the itchy can be forgotten but they are still swollen and you can feel how tight the skin is when walking.
    They get a sore/itchy feeling when I squeeze on the joint. They feel better cold.
    I have to wear socks/tights and enclosed shoes for 12 hour shifts.
    I haven't had chance to scan the forum yet so forgive me if this has already been answered elsewhere!!
    Does anyone have any suggestions?
     
  2. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I was thinking i had some kind of strange foot problem how crazy this is some one else that has the same issue this is very irritating please some one help us . please some one give a way to stop it.
     
  3. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    There are a number of possible causes for such a problem, depending on your ages and whatnot.
    It could just be a toe sprain with damage to the ligaments - you mentioned about wearing enclosed shoes could have damaged it? But if you were them quite regularly probably less likely.
    Or more serious could be an allergic reaction, use of a different washing powder/liquid or whatever, different sock/tights brand.
    Could be an infection, whether bacterial of fungal (atheletes foot for example).
    If it is inflammed then it suggests an immune response to something your body doesn't like, so will be doing its best to get rid of it. If you find a cut in or around your swollen area then that is your most likely cause.
    If you find you get cramping in your legs/feet could be that the veins in your legs aren't pumping the blood in your legs/feet very well and you get a pool of blood in your lower limbs, which could lead to swollen toes.
    Could be gout, which is painful crystallised uric acid deposits in the joints in your body, more commonly the feet and hands.
    Thrombosis another possbility, which is a blood clot in the foot.
    Could be an insect bite.
    If you are taking medications certain ones can have side effects, and that be the cause.

    If the symptoms don't ease up in a few days you should speak to your GPs.
    Alternatively NSAIDs (non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen will clear up the inflammation almost right away.
     
  4. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    im only a teenager so i dnt think i can get gout or corns yet...(i hope). but iv noticed my toes at the joints started to swell and bruise a purplish color. they itch if anything touches them. its only at the top of my feet and the swelling and miscoloration has not improved for the past 2 months. It started with one toe then later stared to affect some of my other toes including my big toes. Its almost like someone glued hard, swollen bumps at the joints of my toes and I don't know how to fix it. ...plus its getting worse since the weather is cold now. They dnt really hurt or anything, but its still freaking me out.
     
  5. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Sounds like you have Chilblains, its caused by the constriction of blood vessels in the toes and sometimes the fingers and nose, with abrupt changes in weather conditions those i.e going from a hot temperature to a lower one, blood vessels become damaged causing inflammation and ulcers/blisters can develop.
    There are easy ways to combact such a problem, such as wearing thick warmer socks, as well as getting creams from the chemist.
    Nelson's Chilblains cream in particular is quite good.
     
  6. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I suffer from Chilbains and its terrible. You wake up in the middle of the night, toes all itchy and its impossible to fall asleep from there. One way to treat Chilbains I discovered is to soak your feet in ginger water.

    So just buy some ginger from the supermarket, slice them up, put them in a pot of water and boil it up as if you are making some soup. Medium heat for around 30 mins and its ready (the water will have pale yellow colour to it), pour it out and let it stand for a bit till its warm. Then soak your feet for around 20-30 mins. Do it for a few days and the itchiness should go away.

    Yes the itchiness could return as winter goes colder/if you cant keep yourself warm, but this is an effective method to go with if you don't want to be using cream/want to treat it in a natural way.
     
  7. zemi23

    zemi23 Guest

    I agree that is may be Chilblains. I had them so bad when I was 14 that I itched until I got scabs :| When I asked my doctor, he said that it's a combination of sudden temperature changes to cold and a lack of circulation. They are more common amongst elderly, sedentary (couch potatoes, haha) and teenagers. Probably 'cause they're less active.

    What helped me out the most, for the itch, was cocoa butter. It warms my toes and reduces the itch. Another thing that I was told to do was to soak in warm water, or ginger water that was mentioned above. Also, I notice it feels good to wiggle my toes or run in place to get the blood pumping and bring some warmth to my feet.

    Well, I hope this helps out who ever needs it :>
     
  8. zemi23

    zemi23 Guest

    One more thing that makes it worse, if you have tight shoes, I would keep them off as much as possible. The pressing on the skin can make it more sensitive and irritates already swollen toes. Also, when they are swollen they tend to get really hot and that cause sweat.
    Moister & heat can cause rashes. Sweat + tight shoes makes toes itchy and unbearable. Even tight socks can cause this.

    :)
     
  9. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I am suffering from the same problem from the past 8-9 years. Now a days i am trying to use hot coconut oil on my toes. it is a simple process of massaging the toes with hot coconut oil and also try to do exercise of the toes as much as possible, a simple exercise that i follow is walk on toes for at least 4-5 times a day, this helped me a lot.....hope will help you also. May God Bless you all...........
     
  10. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    IT'S FROST BITE! totally, I've had the same problem for years and it gets worse when exposed to the cold, it's minor frostbite, I figured it out finally, (itchy, tough, swollen, red toes, and become's irritated to changing temperatures, especially in winter). Lo and behold it is frostbite, it is uncurable, but preventable from further damage. Keep your feet warm, take care of them, wear wool socks, limit your exposure to the elements and every thing is going to be okay.
     
  11. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    You have minor frost bite like me!! It's very common just take care of your feet, notice they turn purple?
     
  12. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Never ever post but felt I had too, excellent responses :)
    I will try the socks, ginger water etc and test for allergies.
    My toes itch both side between second and third toes few years now (alot)
    Never thought of frost bite.
    I stop the itching with teatree oil, a few drops in a shot glass of water and spray it on via a small mister and in 10mins or less the itching has gone but does return following night.
    Gives an anesthetic feel, a gentle numbness but I get to sleep.
    Just thought possible quick fix to try but take no responsibility for for anyone's action on using it. At least now I can try an aletrnative treatment.
    cheers everyone
     
  13. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Re: Swollen Red itchy toes

    Cramps in toes? Stand up and lift your heel, pressing toes down firmly for a few seconds. Cramps will eventually dissappear!

    Red itchy toes? Rub tinea cream for 'athletes foot' (antifungal creme) thickly around the affected area once or twice a day for 7 days straight. Keep clean after applying cream, by wearing thick cotton socks, with or without shoes on, day and night.

    Wear thongs when using other showers.

    I haven't had red itchy toes for eight years!
     
  14. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Do some research on Raynaud's syndrome. I have this syndrome, and my symptoms are those mentioned in the first post. There are prescriptions available for it that help to relieve them.
     
  15. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Here are symptoms of chilblains: red, swollen, itchy toes that turn dark purple/blue that looks like a bruise and a burning sensation. It is caused by small blood vessels leaking when there is rapid change from cold to hot environment. So basically the blood vessels don't expand quickly enough after being warm so they leak causing chilblains. People with poor circulation, live in cold and humid climates, work outside, and females are more susceptible to them. They can come and go every winter.

    I had a swollen toe that turned purple and wouldn't go away so I saw the doctor and he said he didn't know what it was but thought it might be a spider bite and prescribed me a fungal cream with steroids. At first he thought it was a bruise. The cream didn't work. It spread to the same toe on my other foot and a third toe. Today the second toe turned purple so I was going to go to the doctor again but I found this forum and I'm convinced its chilblains because the symptoms fit and the pictures I found of Google look identical. I live in a cold humid climate, have poor circulation in my legs, and have cold tile flooring. I found a cream online called Snowfire that's used in the UK and people say it works great for chilblains.
     
  16. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    My feet never had purple spots but developed all the other symptoms you mention in your posts. I have found that wearing synthetic socks makes it worse. My GP suggested trying Zantac: it's a new off-label use for irritation and it really helps!
     
  17. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Just had chilblains too, so awful, went to chemist and she advised sudacrem, worked in 2 days, brilliant!
     
  18. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Iam 15 and I have a similar problem. Some of my toes on each foot especially my 4 the toe is swollen and goes a a reddy purple color. I think they get the itchiest when I've been doing sports or my feet are really warm but they also feel sore when cold. Overall they feel bettet cold but ache when I bend them.I had this last year aswell and don't know what it is!! Please help x
     
  19. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I love to stick my cold, cold feet into a bucket of hot water. Feels so good! Been doing it routinely lately due to my cold fractured foot, which I have been housing in a post-op boot. When I developed an itch and a couple of my toes swelled up, I wrote it off as my foot being inactive due to fracture. Then the itch became unbearable and I nearly lost my mind. I started consulting Dr. Google and here I am.

    After reading countless articles and looking at online photos of chilblain-ed feet, I am convinced it's what I ended up with. Haven't seen my toes turn purple. They are reddish, swollen, feel tight and warm.

    The only thing that brought relief from the crazy itch was removing my boot and sock, letting my foot chill out. Even minimal pressure such as wearing socks was irritating those poor swollen piggies.
     
  20. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I dont get purple spots either, definetly not chillblains, just curious that more people get this. Socks don't effects me, it just happens randomly. I also get similiar feelings in my hands and fingers. Gonna go to a doctor and find out what it really is.
     
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