Hi! If one of my toes (my middle toe) is red, itchy, and a little swollen, and has been for about a week, should I see a dermatologist or a podiatrist? I was hoping it would just go away, but no luck.
As far as I know, I haven’t done anything to damage it (dropped anything on it, ran into any furniture).
Personally, I’d just go to my GP. If I actually do have something rare and tricky to treat, she can send me on to the other appropriate specialist in her group practice (or elsewhere) and it its the more likely bog-standard rash/irritation/infection, she’s perfectly able to prescribe whatever is needed.
If it were me, I’d try a cortisone cream and see if that fixed it first. Then I’d go to the GP.
And I’ll lay good odds that the GP will give you a script for a cortisone cream…
But it’s quite difficult to walk with only four toes.
OK, I’ll try the cortisone cream first.
It could be a chillblain
might be something inside your shoes … or perhaps they are new shoes/socks … try wearing sandals for a week. additionally, sandals allow for a much better environment … shoes harbor closed region … where irritants and fungi can fester 'n grow 'n multiply … sandals offer a lot more breathing room.
I doubt it’s a chilblain since it hasn’t been all that cold here on the East Coast. Could be a new shoe thing, but I mostly walk around barefoot or with clean socks in the house. I rarely wear shoes without socks.
So far, the cortisone cream has had no effect, but I’ll keep applying it.