At the Pennsylvania Vascular Institute, serving King of Prussia, Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley, Pocono, Jim Thorpe, East Stroudsburg, and Bethlehem, PA, we help patients with various issues associated with their vascular system. And one of those issues is black toe. While this term seems rather generic, this condition can cause serious issues when left untreated.
General Information About Black Toe
Black toe, as its name suggests, is a condition that occurs when your toe turns black. It may be concerning if you look at your toe, and it's black or dark purple in color. Fortunately, it's not always a serious issue, and there's most often a treatment to help and prevent it from worsening.
Causes of Black Toe
It could be from trauma or a circulation issue, including a blocked vein. With trauma, you may have repeatedly bumped your toe off an object, such as a stand. You could wear shoes that are too tight and cause repetitive damage to the toe. It's easy for your big toe to suffer from trauma since it's the largest, and the one on the end.
A fungal infection can sometimes be the culprit. On the other hand, it's possible that your black toe is from a vascular problem. Smoking, for instance, causes poor circulation that can lead to thromboangiitis, also known as Buerger's disease. It can lead to toe gangrene, which will turn your toe black or purple.
When you have vein blockage in your legs, it can lead to phlegmasia, which can result in gangrene.
A person who has low blood pressure may have poor circulation to the toes. It can be severe enough to cause the toes to change color. It'll start as blue or purple. At this stage, it can be reversed before it turns to gangrene. and the toe turns black.
Treatment
The treatment of black toe depends on the cause. For instance, if your toes are turning color due to low blood pressure, a practitioner from one of our offices will intervene with medication.
Prevention
It's always important to keep your feet clean and wear properly fitting shoes. To reduce your risk of black toe, though, you should also exercise regularly, avoid smoking, and seek treatment for any cardiovascular problems.
Pennsylvania Vascular Institute, serving King of Prussia, Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley, Pocono, Jim Thorpe, East Stroudsburg, and Bethlehem, PA, can diagnose your cause of black toe and provide you with the proper treatment.
Call us for an appointment today at (800) 296-9294.