A broken toe can be an unexpected and painful event. Depending on the injury, some toes heal faster than others. If you find yourself in this situation at odd hours of the night or somewhere where you can’t seem to get to a doctor, here are some tips that you could use until you reach medical help.
Symptoms of a Broken Toe
If this has happened to you before, or to someone you know, figuring out whether or not the toe is broken poses a challenge.
Run your fingers over the toe and feel for any bumps or odd textures. The inability to bend or walk on the toe can be a good indication that it’s broken. If the toe begins to turn purple, red or black in some instances, make sure to follow these useful tips.
At-Home Tips
Here are some basic things you can do from home to make sure you heal your broken toe in the fastest and easiest way possible:
Resting
Resting will help your toe heal faster without putting yourself through more pain than you have to. If you feel that you can’t walk, the best thing to do is not force it.
When resting your foot, try to keep it elevated. This will help to keep the pressure off the foot. Avoid elevation for long periods of time so to keep the blood flowing to the affected toe. At minimum, avoid putting weight on the foot for a couple of days.
Ice Packs
An ice pack can greatly reduce swelling and can numb the area for some time. Place an ice pack on the affected area for ten to fifteen minutes every day for a couple of days. Applying ice for more than these time frames can cause frostbite, and could make the pain worse. Make sure to use it in moderation.
If you don’t have an ice pack at home, and in desperate need of icy relief, you can make one yourself. Here is an easy mix:
Mix nine oz of dish soap, one fourth cup of rubbing alcohol and a little water. Freeze the blend in a Ziploc bag. This mixture should get cold, but it won’t freeze allowing you to manipulate it. This should hold you over until a real ice pack is available.
“Buddy Tape”
To better stabilize your toe, wrap gauze around the broken toe and the next biggest toe. If you don’t have access to gauze, use any tape you have until you can get your hands on better materials. Place a Popsicle stick or cotton ball between the toes so the broken toe will heal in a straight position.
We recommend taking anti-inflammatory medicine, like ibuprofen as this process may be slightly painful. Also, please seek professional, medical assistance to ensure you don’t injure the toe further, or cause it to heal crookedly.
