I think I just broke my toe!?!
Question:
I think I just broke my toe!?
How can I tell if its broken and what do I do for it? Its my big toe on my left foot. I was walking and I had flip flops on. We were waiting for the fire works when I slipped and my whole foot turned over and my toe bent backwards! Its all scraped up and my toe nail polish is all scraped off. It hurts so bad, I have ice on it now. Its kinda swollen and red.
Answers:
Keep it elevated, keep ice on it tonight--remember to use a towel between the ice pack and your skin. (20 minutes on...30 minutes off. Repeat. If you leave ice on it too long, you can damage your skin). Take some Tylenol (or Motrin/Ibuprofen if you are over 18) and go to the doctor and get it xrayed tomorrow. If the toe is broken, the only thing they can do is tape it to the toe next to it for support, put you on crutches and give you something for pain/swelling. If it's fractured where the toe connects to the foot (or further into the foot) they may have to put you in a short cast. Depends on the xrays. If you don't go to the doctor and get it treated, it can bother you for years--seriously.