Our feet don’t get enough credit. They literally hold us up. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to go anywhere. They also can give you clues to a bunch of different medical conditions like diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease. Here are 7 serious foot problems that you should be aware of.

7 Serious Foot Problems

 

Make sure to take care of your feet. Look for any of these symptoms or problems listed below.

1. Pain

Pain should never be ignored. Any type of foot pain should be checked out by a doctor. It could mean fractures to plantar fasciitis, which is the inflammation in the tissue that connects your heel bone to toes.

Pain in the morning could mean arthritis or plantar fasciitis. With both conditions, pain will go away as the day goes on because your foot loosens up.

Pain that gets worse throughout the day could mean a fracture. It will go away when you are resting, but come back harder when you put weight on it.

2. Discoloration

You probably ignore your feet when you check your body for skin cancer. It’s actually most commonly seen in the foot You will see a weird mole on the top or bottom of your foot or between your toes.

Melanoma can appear as dark spots underneath your nails.

If you find anything on you, you need to go to the doctor ASAP.

3. Numbness

This can be caused by a variety of health problems, going from bad circulation to alcoholism.

Causes of numbness can be due to peripheral artery disease (PAD), diabetes, Neuropathy, and skin breaking down. PAD narrows the arteries that reduces blood flow that causes numbness. Neuropathy is a complication of nerves and can cause numbness.

4. Swelling

Swollen feet can happen after standing for long periods of time, but they are also a sign of injuries like stress fractures and tendon tears. It could also mean that something is wrong with your veins or arteries.

You should have a podiatrist check your circulation by feeling your pulse and doing tests.

5. Cold Feet

Everyone’s feet get cold every once in a while, but constant cold feet could be caused by insufficient blood flow. Risks of poor circulation is smoking, high blood pressure, heart disease, and history of strokes.

If the coldness is with toes that turn colors, either white or blue to red, it could be due to Raynaud’s disease. This is a common condition where the blood vessels spasm and constrict in response to cold temperatures.

6. Itching

Having itchy feet could mean athlete’s foot. You should look for a white, scaly, or flaky rash. You could also have cracks between your toes that itch, sting, or burn.

Athlete’s foot happens when sweaty feet are put in tight shoes. It’s also contagious and can be spread through other surfaces like towels, floors, or other shoes.

It can also lead to fungal toenails, which can get worse as you age. The body can’t fight infections as well as you get older.

7. Gait

If you notice a difference in how you walk, you should go to your doctor right away. Neurological problems could be the cause. It can range from a stroke and multiple sclerosis, to a herniated disk in your back.

If you aren’t stable while walking, it can lead to more falls and more injuries.

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