Everyone, I mean everyone, needs to pay attention to their feet. The feet speak in varied ways; they highlight that problems are occurring and make you spring into action.

Pain

It may be the sign of many things, and should always be investigated. Whether the pain is new or prolonged, it warrants a visit to your GP or podiatrist. Pain in the feet can signal a host of conditions; from fractures to plantar fasciitis, to arthritis, to biomechanical issues.

Pain in the morning, when you first get up

This can point to arthritis or plantar fasciitis. With both conditions, pain will recede as the foot loosens up throughout the day. A common cause of heel pain, plantar fasciitis often affects runners, and people who are on their feet a lot. Wearing high heels, or shoes that don’t have enough arch support, also raises the risk. Your pains can be caused too by exercising excessively, or in worn out shoes. It is critical to change footwear, particularly sneakers for training, in under a year.

Pain that gets worse during the day

It may indicate a fracture. Pain caused by a fracture will recede when resting, and worsen when bearing weight. Fractures, or small cracks in the bone, can be caused by overactivity or changes in activity, like trying a new exercise. Osteoporosis or other conditions that weaken bones, can heighten the risk of a fracture.

Numbness

Numb feet can indicate a host of serious health issues, from poor circulation to neuropathy. Causes of numbness may include:

Peripheral artery disease (PAD), a narrowing of the arteries that reduces blood flow, can result in numbness. PAD is also usually accompanied by leg pain and cold lower legs.

Diabetes affects circulation and blood supply, and numbness is a complication of the disease. Neuropathy, a complication of nerves most often caused by diabetes, damages the skin, and causes diabetics to lose sensation in their feet. Loss of sensation might mean the person can’t feel their skin breaking down, which can cause ulcerations, infections, and sometimes severe infections that eventually require amputations.

Swelling

While swollen feet can commonly occur after standing for long periods of time, they’re also indicative of some injuries like stress fractures and tendon tears. It’s also possible that something is wrong with the veins or arteries, and they’re not working well enough to control swelling. If you experience excessive swelling in the feet with no history of injury, your podiatrist can check your circulation by feeling your pulses, and doing tests. Swelling may also be a reaction to a medication, or a sign of congestive heart failure

Constantly cold feet may be a result of insufficient blood flow. Poor circulation is a complication of PAD. Risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure, heart disease, and a history of stroke. Your podiatrist can check your circulation by feeling for pulses in the feet or using a mini doppler.

Itching

Itchy, scaly feet may signal athlete’s foot. Look for a white, scaly or flaky rash, sometimes accompanied by cracks between the toes that itches and stings or burns. Athlete’s foot mostly happens when sweaty feet are confined in tight shoes, but is contagious and can also be spread through contaminated surfaces like towels, floors, and other shoes. The condition can lead to fungal toenails, which can get worse and harder to treat as we age, since the body can’t fight infections as before. Most cases can be treated by over-the-counter antifungals, though some may need prescription medications.

Gait

If you’ve had a sudden change in your gait, consult your doctor right away. Neurological problems may be the cause, ranging from issues like stroke and multiple sclerosis, to  a herniated disk in your back. Changes in the way you walk can affect your health in other ways. If there’s instability in your gait, and you’re not walking appropriately due to numbness (where you can’t feel the ground), it’s dangerous, because it’s a fall risk. Sometimes gait change occurs after joint replacements, in which slightly more bone is removed in one leg than the other. This can lead to pain in one foot or leg. Any time you have a painful gait, it’s a problem, and you should see a podiatrist.

Your feet mirror your general health . . . cherish them!