Bruised pinky toe (didn't hit it) — any idea why?

Could someone help me make sense of this? I’m asking for a colleague, not myself, and the doctors seem to be giving him conflicting information.
They told him it's caused by clogged arteries.
He’s a smoker, carries a bit of extra weight, he's 33, and his dad has vascular issues too.
I guess I'm wondering if this is something he was born with or if there's a way to fix it.
He messaged me this morning saying his pinky finger is starting to turn blue.
Does anyone know what might be happening here? He doesn't have diabetes, and he was given some pills to help with the pain, but maybe they aren't working because now a second finger is turning blue. The doctors mentioned he might lose a finger, or maybe both?
Has anyone dealt with something like this before?
Thanks so much for any insight.

Jeffrey Torres said:Can anyone explain what this means? It’s not about me, it’s my coworker—and the doctors aren't really giving us a straight answer.
They told him his veins are clogged.
He smokes, he’s carrying some extra weight, he’s 33, and his dad had vascular issues too.
Is this something you're born with, or can it actually be cured?
He messaged me this morning saying even his pinky finger is starting to turn blue.
Does anyone know what’s going on? He doesn't have diabetes, and they gave him some pills to help, but it doesn't seem to be working because now another finger is turning blue... the doctors mentioned he might lose a finger, or maybe both?
Has anyone dealt with this before? What is this?
Thanks in advance.

Poor circulation. He needs to see a vascular surgeon ASAP—could be anything if the blood flow doesn't get back to that finger.

Look, this is urgent—get to the doctor. My grandmother started developing gangrene, and it was terrifying. Thankfully, she made it in just in time and they were able to save her limb. She’s going to need to be on something for circulation, like low-dose Aspirin.

Thanks for all the replies. He’s pretty shaken up right now—and honestly, who wouldn't be? To make matters worse, the doctors here in the States are a total mess; everyone seems to have their own conflicting diagnosis. He was given some pills on Saturday to hopefully help things along, but unfortunately, he noticed this morning that his finger is starting to turn blue, all the way down to the pinky. I suggested he should probably quit smoking, stop eating heavy meat late at night (which he absolutely loves), and maybe try getting some exercise. I guess that might help him out.
mistyranger51, what do you mean by "all sorts of things"?? Could you explain that a bit more please...

Jeffrey Torres said:Thanks for the input. He’s pretty spooked right now—and honestly, who wouldn't be?—but the real issue is that the doctors here in the States are a complete disaster. Everyone seems to have their own conflicting diagnosis. He was handed some pills on Saturday to supposedly improve things, but unfortunately, he noticed this morning that the blue discoloration is creeping up toward his pinky finger. I told him he needs to quit smoking, stop eating heavy steaks late at night (which is his favorite), and maybe get some exercise. I figure those lifestyle tweaks would help.
mistyranger51, what do you mean by "all sorts of things"?? Please elaborate a bit...

Good grief, he needs to get to the ER immediately.😲 This is spreading, and that is dangerous; if it spreads too far, he could end up losing fingers or even his entire leg, and if it hits his vital organs, it's fatal. Those fingers are turning blue because blood isn't reaching them to deliver oxygen and nutrients or to flush out toxins and CO2. When circulation fails, the tissue dies and starts decomposing just like a corpse, allowing toxins and bacteria to spread and hijack the rest of the body. I don't think you truly grasp how critical this situation is. This is an undeniable medical emergency, and I don't see how any doctor could come up with any other diagnosis given what's happening.
Quitting smoking and cutting back on red meat won't fix this right now. Those are necessary long-term changes. Right now, he needs urgent medical intervention! The faster he addresses this, the better his chances of saving his fingers from amputation, or in the worst-case scenario, his leg.

Jeffrey Torres said:Thanks for the input—he got pretty spooked (can you blame him?) and honestly, the doctors here in the States are a total mess. Everyone’s just throwing out different diagnoses. He got some pills on Saturday to hopefully help things along, but unfortunately, he noticed this morning that his finger is starting to turn blue all the way down to the pinky. I told him he needs to quit smoking, stop eating heavy meat late at night—which he absolutely loves—and maybe get moving with some exercise. Think that might actually help him.
mistyranger51, what do you mean by "all sorts of stuff"?? can you explain a bit please...

gangrene, and I don't think there's even a cure for that....

Wow, okay, that is actually getting pretty serious. Thanks to everyone for all the input and advice. He let me know he’s just waiting on a call to head into the hospital sometime today.

I forgot to ask, how long does the whole treatment process actually take? Besides amputation—which I assume is really just a last resort—what else will they be doing for him at the hospital? I'm curious about the total timeline, too. For instance, if they start him on some kind of therapy, I wonder if he'll be able to keep working or if he'll have to take medical leave.
Thanks again to everyone for all the answers..

Jeffrey Torres said:I totally forgot to ask—how long does the recovery actually take? Like, besides amputation (which I assume is the absolute last resort), what else happens during the hospital stay? And how much total time are we talking about? If they start some kind of therapy, will they be able to get back to work right away, or are they looking at a long stint on medical leave?
Thanks again for all the help, everyone..

They'll definitely need some time off work first—but once that's over, they should be able to get back to the grind normally.

Jeffrey Torres said:I forgot to ask—how long does the recovery actually take? Besides amputation, which I assume is the absolute last resort, what else are they going to do for him at the hospital? I'm trying to figure out the total timeline here. If they start him on specific therapies, will he be able to keep working, or is he looking at extended medical leave?
Thanks again to everyone for the help..

They’re going to have to run a battery of detailed tests first just to gauge the damage. When my grandmother needed a leg bypass to fix her circulation, they went through a whole process. He'll likely be put on some medication, too. My grandma also used hyperbaric oxygen therapy, so that might be an option. She eventually went to a rehab center in Arizona for physical therapy, as well. As for how much time he'll need off work, that's entirely up to his specific situation and how he responds to treatment.

Thanks so much to everyone for the quick and awesome replies.

Honestly, this could be something serious—like a real health scare. You might need to quit smoking, like, right now!

briskskipper71 said:it could be Brugada syndrome—quit smoking immediately.

It certainly has all the hallmarks.

A solid vascular profile would confirm it.