Red swelling under third toe

[lainaf]

The base of my third toe (left foot) is quite red, hard and swollen, slightly stiff and painful. I can walk ok in good shoes but the pain increases at night.

There is no swelling or redness of the top of my toe.

Co-incidentally I also recently had an extremely painful joint in my third finger (right hand) for over a week. It was not red, but quite painful to touch.


My BP is good, am in good health and exercise.

Any ideas about the toe?

[FootDoc]

Please understand that your question is no more answerable than had you perhaps asked, "Why do I have pain in my eye?" You might have your symptoms for any number of reasons, but a simple recitation of common symptoms and findings such as pain, stiffness and swelling in the foot leads to no more meaningful conclusions than would similar symptoms anywhere else in the body without a detailed history and an all-important examination. That being said, pain, redness and swelling are common signs of infection and this should be ruled out professionally.