Whether a toe is broken or just badly bruised is sometimes difficult to tell. There are some signs that make the difference more obvious. If in doubt, you should see the doctor.

 

First, you can examine the toe for deformities. To do this, run your fingers carefully along the toe. If you feel any protruding bumps or if the toe feels crooked, it is probably broken.

A fracture makes moving the toe extremely painful or even impossible. If you can move the toe reasonably painlessly, it is not broken.

If you hear a scraping sound when you move your toe, it may be because a piece of splintered bone is rubbing against another piece.

A broken toe swells to double its size until the skin is severely stretched.

If the injured toe looks shorter and crippled compared to the same toe on the other foot, it is probably broken.

Within two to three hours after a fracture, there may be an increased body temperature, more than 37.6 degrees indicates a fracture.

A broken toe cannot hold the body weight, so if you try to stand for a minute, a broken toe will give way.