Everyone has had a minor problem with a toe, foot, or ankle. Most of the time our body movements do not cause problems, but it's not surprising that symptoms develop from everyday wear and tear or overuse. Toe, foot, or ankle problems can also occur from injuries or the natural process of aging.

Your toes, feet, or ankles may burn, sting, hurt, feel tired, sore, stiff, numb, tingly, hot, or cold. You may have had a "charley horse" (muscle cramp) in your foot while lying in bed at night. Your feet or ankles may change color or swell. You may have noticed an embarrassing odor from your feet. Some changes in your feet and ankles are normal as a person ages or during pregnancy. Home treatment is usually all that is needed to relieve your symptoms.

Toe, foot, or ankle problems may be caused by an injury. If you think an injury caused your problem, see the topic Toe, Foot, or Ankle Injuries. However, there are many noninjury causes of toe, foot, or ankle problems.

Skin problems

Most skin problems that affect your feet are more annoying than they are serious. If you have:

• The feeling of walking on pebbles: you may have plantar warts on the bottom of your feet.
• Patches of thick and tough skin on the heel or ball of your foot: you may have a callus, corn, blister, or skin growth.
• Red, peeling, cracking, burning, and itchy skin between your toes or on the bottom of your feet: you may have athlete's foot. Or maybe your feet are reacting to the shoes you are wearing (shoe dermatitis).
• Red, swollen, and painful skin around a toenail: you may have an ingrown nail or an infection around your nail (paronychia).
• Red, swollen soles of your feet that are painful to the touch or when you walk: you may have a bacterial infection. Public showers, hot tubs, or swimming pools are common areas where bacterial infections, athlete's foot, and warts can be transmitted to your feet.

Joint problems

Toe joints are more likely to develop problems than other joints in your feet.

• Heat, pain, redness, swelling, and extreme tenderness that comes on quickly in your big toe joint may be caused by gout. Similar symptoms can occur with an infection.
• If you have swelling or a bump at the base of your big toe, you may have a bunion. See an illustration of a bunion.
• If you have a bump on the outside of your little toe, you may have a bunionette, also called a Tailor's bunion.
• If your toes, other than your big toes, bend in an odd position, you may have hammer toes, mallet toes, or claw toes. See an illustration of toe joint deformities.
• Joint pain, stiffness, and swelling are common when you have conditions such as bursitis, arthritis, lupus, or gout.

Pain