Gout in the pinky toe: signs and next steps

Look for a combination of tenderness, warmth, swelling and red or shiny skin around the toe joint. These features can occur with gout, but a fracture, skin infection, bunion-related irritation or another inflammatory arthritis may produce similar changes. A clinician may ask about previous attacks, medicines, kidney health and diet, then decide whether examination, blood work or joint-fluid testing is appropriate. Read more about [Gout](/conditions/gout/) to understand the underlying condition.

Choose roomy footwear or go barefoot indoors if that is safe, and avoid rubbing or pressing the painful area. Rest the foot and raise it when sitting. A wrapped cool pack may ease discomfort for short applications. Use prescribed flare medicine exactly as directed; some options are unsuitable for people with kidney disease, stomach problems or medicine interactions. Do not make major diet changes or stop regular treatment without discussing them with a clinician. Ask how fluids, alcohol and [Obesity](/conditions/obesity/) relate to your prevention plan.

Contact a clinician for a first painful, swollen toe or symptoms that are not improving. Seek urgent care for fever, chills, rapidly spreading redness, pus, severe illness or pain that is out of proportion, because a joint or skin infection can damage tissue. After a knock or twist, urgent assessment is sensible if you cannot bear weight, the toe is misshapen or it becomes numb.

Ask whether the pinky-toe problem is consistent with gout, what tests could distinguish it from infection or injury, and what treatment is safe with your other medicines. Ask whether [Chronic Kidney Disease](/conditions/chronic-kidney-disease/) changes your prevention or flare plan.