Red Toes: Effect of Weather, With Swelling, 6 Causes (2024)

Redness in your toes might be concerning at first, but this type of color change is not always serious. Many different things, including cold weather or an infected toenail, can cause your foot to appear flush or inflamed.

Whether it's one red toe or more diffuse color changes, paying attention to the accompanying symptoms can help clue you in on whether your issue is serious.

This article will detail the most common causes of red toes and the typical treatments for
them.

Conditions With Red Toes as a Symptom

The most common conditions that cause toe redness include:

• Cold weather
• Fractures
• Ingrown toenails
• Gout
• Raynaud’s disease
• Diabetes

Cold Weather (Chilblains)

In some people, redness or color changes in the toes may simply be a reaction to cold temperatures. Also known as chilblains or pernio, this condition causes localized redness and swelling to develop in the toes and fingers. Less commonly, these color changes may also impact a person’s nose, ears, or heels.

This reaction typically occurs 12 to 24 hours after a person is exposed to cool or damp weather, making it more likely to develop during the winter months. In addition to color changes, chilblains may cause skin bumps, itching, burning, or lesions to develop.

Fractures

Fractures in the foot are fairly common and can cause redness or other discoloration in the toes. They usually occur when a heavy item is dropped on the foot or after accidentally stubbing your toes into a hard object.

Stress fractures can also develop gradually if the foot or toes are subjected to repetitive forces, like those associated with distance running or basketball. People with this condition may also experience bruising in the affected area and or difficulty walking due to pain.

Ingrown Toenail

Ingrown toenails occur when a nail's side or corner portion begins to irritate and cut into the surrounding skin. This issue, which usually develops because of restrictive footwear or improperly trimmed nails, can cause localized redness, swelling, or pain to develop in the affected toe. While ingrown toenails most commonly occur in the big toe, they can develop in any of the foot’s digits.

Gout

Gout is an extremely painful condition that can cause redness, warmth, and sensitivity in the big toe. It occurs when high levels of uric acid in the body cause microscopic crystals to form in a joint.

These jagged structures irritate the lining of the joint, causing inflammation and redness to develop. Gout-associated color changes in a toe typically come on quickly and frequently develop in the middle of the night.

Raynaud’s Syndrome

Raynaud’s syndrome is a circulatory condition that makes the blood vessels in the hands and feet more reactive to cold temperatures. People with this disease frequently experience finger or toe redness after coming into contact with even mildly cool objects, like a glass of cold water.

Other stimuli, like stress, may also cause the color changes to occur. Raynaud’s can also cause the fingers and hands to throb, tingle, or turn blue or white.

Diabetes

Uncontrolled diabetes commonly leads to sensory issues and poor circulation in the feet. This makes it more likely that you’ll develop a cut or sore on your foot without knowing it. It can also slow down your body’s ability to heal a toe or foot wound.

Because of this, the risk of toe and foot infections increases in people with diabetes. These infections can cause redness, pain, and warmth in the wounded area and the regions that surround it. In severe cases, gangrene may eventually develop in the foot or toe, and the region may become black and have a bad odor.

Describing Red Toe Discoloration and Feeling

The feeling of a red, swollen toe may vary, depending on which condition causes it. Discoloration caused by gout is often sudden and sharply painful. Raynaud’s or chilblains-associated redness is also frequently quick to develop, though these color changes may be accompanied by feelings of itchiness, throbbing, or burning.

The discoloration from a fractured toe may take a few hours or even a day to develop, though the pain typically starts almost immediately after the trauma.

With an ingrown toenail, pain and redness typically occur around the nail itself and are often alleviated by trimming the affected area. Because of the sensory changes associated with diabetes, the redness from this condition may not be felt at all. This inability to sense a problem makes this condition so dangerous.

How to Warm Cold, Red Toes

Cold, red toes are best treated by slowly elevating their temperature in warm water. Your feet can be soaked in water heated to approximately 100 to 105 degrees F and kept there until the digits warm up again. Once a comfortable temperature has been restored, it is important to completely dry the feet off to prevent coldness from redeveloping.

Warming the toes in hot water should be avoided as it can cause color changes to reoccur and may also lead to intense itching or stinging.

Medications to Treat Red Toes

Depending on the cause of your red toes, several different medications may be used for treatment. These include:

• Pentoxifylline: Treats chilblains-associated redness by reducing the viscosity of your blood.
  
• Colchicine: Helps reduce gout pain and redness immediately after an attack.
• Allopurinol: Decreases the likelihood of future gout attacks by lowering uric acid levels in
  the body.
• Alpha receptor blocker: Treats Raynaud’s associated toe redness by opening or dilating blood vessels.
• Oral diabetes medications: Diabetes medications help your body use the insulin it produces or break down excess glucose to keep the disease under control.

When Could Red Toes Be Serious

While some types of toe redness are common and relatively harmless, others could indicate a serious issue. Gout or fracture-associated redness can lead to significant pain, difficulty walking, or bone and joint damage if left untreated.

Chronic Raynaud’s or chilblains can cause damage to the surrounding skin tissue in the toe and even lead to ulceration or gangrene.

Uncontrolled diabetes can have several significant long-term consequences for feet, including:

• Foot deformity (Charcot foot)
• Gangrene
• Significant infection
• Toe or foot amputation

Bringing Up Symptoms to a Provider

Because redness in the toe may be caused by several serious conditions, it is important to have your symptoms evaluated. This is especially true if your redness is new, worsening, or accompanied by pain.

Be sure to tell your medical provider when you first noticed the color changes and detail any other symptoms you’re experiencing. While you may be tempted to ignore redness in your toes, getting your foot evaluated is the easiest way to determine the cause and treatments.

Summary

Exposure to cold temperatures may cause redness or discoloration in the toes, especially in people with Chilblains or Raynaud’s disease. Redness can also be the result of an ingrown toenail or a fracture of the toe after a trauma. Gout may be to blame if the toe color changes are sudden and excruciating. In uncontrolled diabetics, toe redness may indicate a wound or infection due to sensory deficits.