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By drjacob
February 21, 2012
Category: Uncategorized
Tags: Untagged

LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR FEET ARE "SAYING TO YOU"

Part 2

Your feet can tell you some really important things about your health, if you look for the signs and heed the messages they are sending.  Over the next few blogs, Madison Podiatry Associates and Dr. Jacob will share these “foot messages”.

Foot problems may foretell unexpected consequences. Pain can cause a person to move less and gain weight, for example, or to shift balance in unnatural ways, increasing the chance of falling and breaking a bone.

If your feet are sending out some of these messages, it is important to listen.  Usually it means something important is going on.

4. There is a sore that won't heal on your foot

This could indicate diabetes. Elevated blood sugar levels can lead to nerve damage in the feet—this means that even minor scrapes, cuts or irritations caused by pressure or friction that often go unnoticed can become ulcers and if not treated can lead to infection, even amputation.

Oozing, foul-smelling cuts are especially suspected because they've probably been there a while. There are other symptoms of diabetes, which include feeling thirst more than usual, frequent urination, fatigue, blurry vision, extreme hunger and weight loss.

You should get the ulcer treated immediately and see a doctor for a diabetes evaluation. Diabetics need to inspect their feet daily (older people or the obese should have someone do this for them) and see a healthcare professional every three months.

5. You have cold feet

Women, especially, report cold feet. It may be nothing—or it may indicate a thyroid issue. Women have a slightly lower core body temperature than men, which makes them more vulnerable to being cold even when they're perfectly healthy. Women over 40 could have an under-functioning thyroid, the gland that regulates temperature and metabolism. Poor circulation (men and women) is another possible cause. Hypothyroidism’s symptoms are pretty subtle and appear in many disorders (fatigue, depression, weight gain, dry skin). See your doctor.

6. Thick, yellow, really ugly toenails

You have a fungal infection and it is existing below the surface of the nail. This condition can persist without pain for years. By the time it's visibly unattractive; the infection is advanced and can spread to all toenails and even fingernails.

The nails may also smell bad and turn dark. People most vulnerable: those with diabetes, circulatory trouble or immune-deficiency disorders (like rheumatoid arthritis). If an older person has trouble walking, sometimes the problem can be traced to the simple fact that as infected nails grow thicker, they're harder to cut and simply go ignored to the point of pain.

See your foot doctor for care and treatment. In serious cases, over-the-counter antifungals are usually not as effective as a combination of topical and oral medications and the professional removal of diseased bits. Newer-generation oral antifungal medications tend to have fewer side effects than older ones. 

 

If you are experiencing foot and/or ankle problems contact us at

Madison Podiatry Associates here in Sterling Heights Michigan

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