help with my toe

[pattijayne]

My fourth toe on my right foot is red and it hurts. The side of the toe split open as well. The top of the foot has a red line zigzagging to that toe. What is it?

[caregiver222]

You have a medical emergency requiring immediate attention by a physician. The problem is that invariably, if untreated, you will develop an infection in the bones a condition called osteomyelitis. Because oral antibiotics do not travel well to the extremities, you may end up with several weeks of intraveous therapy, which may not work. The bacteria has to be cultured to determine the proper antibiotic.  In a worse case scenario you may lose toes from amputation, a foot, or a leg. Or the infection will travel to the heart and you will require a heart-valve replacement. The red line on the top of the foot suggests thast the infection has spread. Cutting to the chase, you have a potentially life-threatening problem.

[TheLightSeeker]

It could be a bacterial skin infection like Cellulitis and the split on the toe is a likely entry point of the bacteria.
The red line makes me suspect a spreading infection (away from the toe and toward the heart - not the other way around).

You should have this checked asap in order to avoid any potential complications.

Best wishes.
Niko