How can you tell if your foot is broken?

A broken foot is the result of damage to one or more of the foot’s bones. A fall, a heavy object falling on the foot, a car accident, or sports can all cause this injury. Fractures can range from small notches in the bones to multiple bones breaking and coming out through the skin.

Treatment for a broken footbone depends on where the bone is broken and how bad the break is. A severely broken foot may require surgery to insert plates, rods, or screws into the fragmented bone fragments to hold them in place while they heal.

Symptoms

Some signs of a shattered foot bone include:

• Immediately, sharp pain.
• Pain that gets worse when you move and becomes better when you sit still.
• swelling
• scratch
• softness
• A deformity is an alteration in the shape of the foot.
• Discomfort or soreness in the feet when walking or lifting something.  
• An open fracture is a bone that has broken through the skin.

When to see a doctor

If the shape of your foot changes, if the pain and swelling do not improve with self-care, or if the pain and swelling increase over time, it is important to see a healthcare professional. Because some fractures can heal, don’t assume that you don’t need a doctor just because you can put weight on your foot.

Also Read: The Science and Benefits of Microdermabrasion for Skincare  

Reasons

The most common causes of broken feet include:

• Auto accidents: Broken bones that need surgery to fix can result from injuries sustained in auto accidents.
• Falling: Fractures in the feet can occur due to tripping or falling, especially when falling from a height.
• Impact of heavyweight: A hefty object falling on the foot is a common cause of fractures.
• Mistakes: Occasionally, tripping and hitting a toe on furniture can cause a foot bone injury, even a broken bone.
• Overuse: The foot’s weight-bearing bones are also susceptible to stress fractures. Repeated stress or excessive movement, such as running long distances, can cause small cracks. These bones can also break due to weakening in conditions like osteoporosis.

Risk factors

Your risk of breaking your foot or ankle may be increased if you.

• Play high-impact sports: Sports like basketball, soccer, gymnastics, tennis, and other activities that involve stress, direct hits, and twisting injuries can result in broken foot bones.
• Use inappropriate sports equipment or technique: Poor training methods, like skipping the warm-up, might raise the risk of a foot injury. Falls and stress fractures can be made more likely by inadequate footwear, such as shoes that are too small or worn too frequently.
• Suddenly increase your activity level: Whether you’re a trained athlete or someone new to exercise, increasing the intensity or amount of exercise can increase your risk of stress fractures.
• Do specific work: In some workplaces, such as construction sites, you are at risk of falling from a height or having a heavy object fall on your feet.
• Keep your home uncluttered or poorly lit: Walking in an overly cluttered or poorly lit home can lead to falls and foot injuries.
• Have certain medical conditions: Weakness of the bones, called osteoporosis, can put the bones in the feet at risk of injury.
• Smoke: Smoking raises the risk of osteoporosis, and research has shown that smokers take longer to heal after a fracture.

Complications

Although they are uncommon, foot bone complications can include:

• Arthritis: Fractures that spread to the joints can cause arthritis years later. If your foot continues to hurt for a long time after a fracture, see your health care professional.
• Bone infection, called osteomyelitis: If your fracture is open and one end of the bone is protruding through the skin, bacteria can infect the bone and cause an infection.
• Damage to blood vessels or nerves: A foot injury may cause damage to blood vessels and nerves. If you experience numbness or you feel that the blood flow to the feet is decreasing, contact a doctor immediately. Lack of blood flow can cause avascular necrosis or bone death.
• Compartment syndrome: Foot fractures rarely result in this condition. It causes pain, swelling, numbness, and sometimes difficulty moving the affected muscles.

Prevention

Ankle sprains can be avoided with the following sports and safety advice:

• Wear proper footwear: Use hiking boots for walking on rough terrain. For your sport, get the appropriate athletic footwear.
• Replace athletic shoes as needed: Replace shoes immediately when the tread or heel part of the shoe wears out or shows signs of wear. If you’re a runner, change your shoes every 300 to 400 miles.
• Start slow: This applies to the beginning of a new fitness program or exercise.
• Adopt a Balanced Fitness Program: A balanced fitness program should include aerobic activity, strength training, and flexibility, which help your joints move fully.
• Boost bone strength by consuming adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D. Leafy greens, tofu, and dairy products are foods high in calcium. Ask your physician if you need to take a vitamin D supplement.
• Use nightlights: Walking in the dark breaks most toes.
• Get rid of clutter in your home: Removing clutter from the floor can reduce your risk of falling and tripping.