How do you tell if you broke a toe?

The signs of a broken toe: immediate sharp pain at the moment of injury, swelling and bruising within hours, pain that sharpens when you walk or press on it, and sometimes the toe pointing at an odd angle. A stubbed-toe sprain hurts similarly at first, so bruising plus pain on weight-bearing is the practical tell. The honest truth: no symptom list separates break from sprain with certainty - only an X-ray does - and for most toes it does not change the treatment, which is why many minor toe fractures never get X-rayed at all. What you do at home, broken or sprained: rest and avoid the activity that hurts, ice 15 to 20 minutes at a time for the first days, buddy-tape the toe to its neighbor with cotton wool or gauze between them for 2 to 3 weeks, keep it raised, and wear a stiff-soled or open shoe. Most heal in 4 to 6 weeks. DO get it seen if the toe is deformed or pointing the wrong way, the skin is broken over it, the big toe is involved (it bears real load), you cannot walk, or pain and swelling are not improving after a few days. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can walk you through the checks.