Question
I am having an issue with my right big toe that I think is
connected to wearing  cheap foam flip-flops, which I have
decided is the footwear of the devil. I've been wearing them
pretty much all the time for the past several months,
including when I walk the dogs on the concrete. Bad! Never
again... so, so stupid.

A couple of weeks ago my big toe started to hurt, not badly
just slightly, and would be a little red from the first
joint (the one just under the toenail) to the tip of the
toe, and just a tiny bit swollen as well. It does not hurt
while walking, but when I push it with my finger on top of
the joint and also under the toe or on top of the big
toenail it does. There is also a slightly raised lump (not a
callous or wart, etc.) on the outer edge/top of my toe on
top of the joint crease. It comes and goes, some days the
symptoms are almost completely gone.

I noticed that when I walk I kind of hold onto the flip flop
with my toe but only on my right foot, I don't do this with
my left foot. Needless to say I tossed all my flip flops and
started wearing more suitable footwear. The pain subsided
within a day or two as did the redness and swelling, but the
lump is still slightly there. Then I wore a pair of loose
sandals and again noticed I was 'holding' them with my
toe...the symptoms came back the next day, but started to go
away the day after that.

So my questions are... Do you think this problem could be
caused my my bad footwear as I think it is? And at what
point should I see a doctor about this? I'd like to give it
some time to clear up on its own ( if I haven't done
permanent damage), but I don't want to be any more foolish
than I already have been. It definitely has started getting
better since I stopped wearing the stupid flip-flops, but
seems to flare up if I do anything which really bends that
joint...

Thank you so very much for your time.

Answer
Hi Ren,

Your foot problem could be caused by poor foot wear.  However, some irritation in that area may cause a cyst or the lump may be caused from enlargement of the bone at the joint.  Your joint may have arthritis in it.  The fact that the area gets larger and smaller could indicate a cyst. if you have increased redness and swelling. If the problem does not resolve over the next few weeks I would see a podiatrist for examination and to have an x-ray of your toe.

Sincerely,

Marc Katz, DPM
Tampa, FL
Advanced Podiatry
http://www.thetampapodiatrist.com
http://www.tampacryosurgery.com
http://katzpodiatristtampa.blogspot.com
http://painfoot.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/TampaPodiatrist
http://www.notoenailfungus.com
http://www.vibranttampatoenails.com

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