hot, red, swollen 2nd biggest toe... teenage girl?

hot, red, swollen 2nd biggest toe... teenage girl?My second biggest toe hurts and is swollen, red, and hot. It does this sometimes, but I usually ignore it. I used to have ingrown toenail problems... could this pain be from that? It doesn't seem to get worse if I ignore it. It sounds like gout or bacterial arthritis I think, but I don't know what to do! I don't like doctors, so that is NOT an option. Thank you. :)

.:. LoLa .:.
ingrown toenail?
broken or fractured toe?
infection?
fungus?

GWYNN E M
You must get counseling in order to get over your "doctor fear" for the first thing. I had ingrown toenails (infection) off and on for many years and I even had to go to emergency to have minor surgery on my left big toe to get rid of the infection. I almost had to have my toe removed. If anything on your body turns red you have an infection. You can soak it in hot epsom salts to draw the infection out. When you trim your big toenails cut them straight across...do not round them off.

SGT V
It certainly could be from an ingrown toenail. Look at it closely. Gout is best diagnosed with a simple blood test for uric acid levels. It usually effects the big toe. I have provided you with links below to WebMD. First is on gout, second on ingrown toenails, and then their symptom checker. You input as much info as you can and it gives you the possible causes. Some general first aid things to try. If you believe it might be gout or arthritis (kind of a reach for a teenager) then try some Ibuprofen (take with some food or milk to minimize stomach upset). It is an over the counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. Try soaking the foot in some hot water with some epsom salts if there are any on hand. If the pain does not get any worse and you are dead set against doctors then treat the symptoms as instructed above when it flares up. The next time you go to the doctor mention the problem. Most doctors order periodic blood tests for patients. It does not require any additional needles to run one more test. Good luck and hope the info helps you.

Add your own answer in the comments! Gout - information, symptoms and treatments. Googout.info health information factsheet - advice on gout and its symptoms, causes and treatment, plus prevention through diet.

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