Your feet are a good indicator of your overall health. Podiatrists can detect everything from diabetes to nutritional deficiencies by examining your feet.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a shame most of us take our feet for granted\u2026until they start hurting, <\/em>and by then, the problem is usually so far advanced that basic foot care isn\u2019t enough to remedy the issue.<\/p>\n Foot cramps, or charley horses, occur when the muscles of the leg and foot contract suddenly. They can be a single muscle spasm or come in waves that linger for a long time.<\/p>\n Foot cramps are often triggered by exercise and dehydration, both of which are minor issues that can be resolved quickly. However, frequent foot cramps can be a sign of calcium, potassium, or magnesium deficiencies.<\/p>\n A persistent wound at the bottom of your foot can be a sign of diabetes. Elevated blood sugar causes nerve damage to the feet, which causes scrapes, cuts, and sores to go unnoticed because you don\u2019t feel the pain.<\/p>\n Some people have difficulty bending over to examine their feet because of limited mobility; a handheld mirror works great in this situation. If you notice a wound on your feet, especially on the bottom, see a doctor immediately. Do this even if you\u2019re not experiencing other symptoms of diabetes, such as increased thirst, frequent urination, or fatigue.<\/p>\n Are your feet always cold? Cold feet can be a sign of an underactive thyroid in women and\/or a sign of poor circulation in both men and women.<\/p>\n Sometimes all you need are thick wool socks and slippers to keep your feet warm. However, if the problem persists, see a doctor and explain your symptoms.<\/p>\n Loss of feeling or persistent \u201cpins and needles\u201d in both feet can be a sign of damage to the peripheral nervous system. Such damage might be the result of diabetes.<\/p>\n If your toe joints are constantly aching or swollen, it could be a sign of rheumatoid arthritis or degenerative joint disease. Typically, the pain starts in the smaller joints before graduating to bigger joints.<\/p>\n If your toes keep changing colors from white to blue and finally red in cold weather, it could be a sign of Raynaud\u2019s disease. See a doctor to ensure that the symptoms aren\u2019t a sign of an underlying autoimmune disease.<\/p>\n How to take better care of your feet:<\/strong><\/p>\n Show your feet a little love by doing what you can to keep them healthy!<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Your feet are a good indicator of your overall health. Podiatrists can detect everything from diabetes to nutritional deficiencies by examining your feet. It\u2019s a shame most of us take our feet for granted\u2026until they start hurting, and by then, the problem is usually so far advanced that basic foot care isn\u2019t enough to remedy…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":15101,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[375,1523,1524,1517],"aware":[1753],"class_list":["post-6234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","tag-diabetes","tag-feet","tag-foot-care","tag-hygiene","aware-wellness"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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