What Your Feet Say About Your Health

At Pasco-Hernando Foot & Ankle, we encourage our patients to examine their feet regularly to spot podiatric problems in their earliest stages. Did you know your feet can also reveal quite a bit about the health of the rest of your body? Below are four conditions that may show signs in your feet and how to recognize them.

Heart and Artery Disease

Your heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout your entire body. Since your feet are the part of you that’s farthest away from the heart, early signs of blocked arteries may show up there first. Symptoms to look for include feet that feel cold, discoloration of the skin, and hair loss on your toes or lower legs.

Diabetes

Poor circulation and neuropathy are two conditions frequently associated with diabetes. In your feet, these may manifest in the form of sores that are slow to heal and unusual sensations such as burning, tingling, or numbness.

Arthritis

Although pain in your big toe or other joints in your feet may just be a sign that your shoes are too tight, they can also signal some form of arthritis. Sudden and very painful swelling of the big toe is characteristic of gout.

Skin Cancer

You should not ignore changes in the skin on your feet and your toenails, even if they are not painful. Skin cancer, including deadly melanomas, can happen in your feet. In some cases, a dark mark under the nail is a cancer of the skin. Even rashes and nail symptoms caused by a fungal infection should be treated promptly.

If you notice any of the above symptoms or have other concerns about something happening with your feet, don’t wait. Contact our Hudson office (727-868-2128 or 352-683-5799) so our podiatrist, Dr. Lawrence J. Kales, can examine your feet and determine what’s behind your troubling symptoms.