Associated symptoms

Pus on the toe is accompanied by severe pain, redness, restricted movement, a feeling of warmth and swelling. In addition, especially at the beginning of symptoms, a feeling of pressure around the nail can be observed. All these symptoms are signs of inflammation and, especially if accompanied by pus, indicate a bacterial infection.

The pain can be so severe that the wearing of shoes is restricted and the toe can only be moved slightly. At the beginning of the symptoms, the toe initially feels more pressure. This is caused by the initial defensive reaction and can already be accompanied by redness and slight swelling.

As the inflammation progresses and bacteria start to enter the toe, the pain increases and can take on enormous proportions. In rare cases, the patient may be unable to work because wearing shoes and even socks is uncomfortable. At this point at the latest, a doctor should be consulted and surgical therapy should be considered.

Redness is one of the five classic signs of inflammation and usually occurs at a very early stage of inflammation. Together with pain (dolor), swelling (tumor), heat (calor) and functional impairment (Funktio laesa), redness (rubor) represents a clear inflammation. The cause of the redness is the increased blood circulation in the inflamed area, which is caused by the immune system and allows the defence cells to flood in.

Reddening can be a warning sign of inflammation and can be a sign of early detection of infection. A pus blister, often called a boil, is a pus-filled bladder that occurs during inflammation and usually projects to the middle of a reddened, painful swelling.The inflammation often extends much further into the depth of the tissue, which is why the pustule is the tip of the iceberg. Often the bladder bursts, which leads to the discharge of pus. Overall, a pus blister indicates an already advanced inflammation and should be clarified by a doctor and possibly surgically opened.