You may have a broken toe if you notice the following signs and symptoms:

• Severe or throbbing pain that does not improve or worsens when you move or touch your toe.
• Swelling and bruising that can spread across the entire toe and possibly to the foot.
• The affected toe looks different from the same toe on your other foot, such as appearing crooked, bent, deformed, misaligned, or out of place.
• Difficulty or inability to move the toe normally, or the toe feels rigid and immobilized.
• You experience numbness, tingling, or inability to put weight on the injured toe.
• You might have heard a snap or pop at the time of injury.
• In severe cases, the bone may protrude through the skin or the toe may be visibly displaced.

If the pain is mild and improves within a few days, you can still move your toe, and it looks normal though slightly bruised or swollen, then it might just be a bruise rather than a break. You should seek medical attention if you suspect your toe is broken, especially if it is visibly misaligned, extremely painful, numb, or if you cannot put weight on it. An X-ray may be needed for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan, which may include buddy taping, a cast, or in severe cases, surgery.