Swollen Feet Can Have Many Causes. Here Are Nine Signs That May Be Worth Paying Attention To.

The foot can also become dramatically swollen for another reason — sometimes beginning with just one joint.

The Big Toe Can Offer an Important Clue
Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis caused by the buildup of urate crystals in and around joints.

A gout flare can begin suddenly and cause intense pain, redness, warmth, and swelling.

The big toe is a particularly common location for a first gout flare, although gout can affect other joints as well.

Attacks may begin during the night, and the pain can become severe.

Still, even this recognizable pattern is not enough for a certain self-diagnosis.

A painful, swollen toe could potentially have another explanation, including injury, infection, or another type of arthritis.

Another important fact is that elevated urate levels do not automatically mean a person has gout. Some people have high urate levels without ever developing gout symptoms.

Medical evaluation may therefore be necessary to determine the actual cause.

And gout is not the only inflammatory condition capable of producing localized swelling.

Bursitis Can Produce Localized Swelling
Bursae are small fluid-filled sacs that help reduce friction between bones and nearby tissues such as tendons and muscles.

When one of these sacs becomes irritated or inflamed, the condition is known as bursitis.

Bursitis is frequently associated with areas such as the shoulder, elbow, hip, or knee, but bursae around the heel and other areas of the foot can also become irritated.

Depending on its location, bursitis may produce pain, tenderness, stiffness, or localized swelling.

Once again, location and accompanying symptoms matter.

A small painful swollen area near a joint is not necessarily produced by the same process as swelling that affects both lower legs.

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Joint Conditions
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease capable of causing inflammation in multiple joints.