Suffering Foot or Ankle Pain or Discomfort?
Our feet get us from point A to point B without much thought from us about it, unless they start hurting. But what if our feet our trying to show us that something is wrong without causing pain? Check out these 8 subtle signs that could be an indicator that something more is going on.
It’s common for our fingers and toes to get colder than the rest of our bodies, so most of the time there is no need to worry. But, if your feet, specifically your toes, are chronically cold and/or numb it could mean you have poor blood circulation. This could be due to lung disease causing lack of oxygen in your blood or several types of heart disease that cause narrowing of the arteries restricting blood flow.
Swelling of the feet is something we’ve probably all experienced at one point or another from overuse of our feet, pregnancy, injury or painful shoes. But if the swelling sticks around for more than a few days it could mean something more serious. Swelling could be a build-up of fluid due to a number of ailments ranging in seriousness from medication side effects, arthritis causing inflammation, kidney disease or even congestive heart failure. If you’re having other symptoms along with the swollen feet, like dizziness, chest pain or difficulty breathing, you need get yourself emergency medical attention quickly. These combined symptoms could be the result of a blood clot or serious heart condition.
There are various conditions that lead to the discoloration of skin on the feet, most of which are no need for major alarm. The most probable cause is a skin rash, like Psoriasis, a fungal infection, like athlete’s foot, or a condition called Raynaud’s syndrome, where blood vessels in the feet (and hands) react excessively to cold temperatures or stress. Raynaud’s in itself is manageable, although it can be an indicator of something more severe, like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or Sjogren's syndrome.
If you have pain at the corners of your toenail on the big toe, it’s probably an ingrown toenail. These are easily manageable, but painful none the less. If you’re experiencing a sudden onset of pain in the joint of the big toe it could be a symptom of gout, a kind of arthritis. Gout usually causes burning pain, stiffness and swelling in the big toe joint – often happening out of the blue, at night. Another cause of big toe pain could be rheumatoid arthritis, which is a form of arthritis that usually begins in the finger and toe joints.
The clubbing of the toenails is when the end of the toes become enlarged and rounded and the nails curve downward over the toes. This condition can be hereditary and harmless, but if it happens unexpectedly it could be a sign of something more serious. Both lung and heart diseases can cause clubbing by lessening the amount of oxygen in the blood. Some other conditions that can cause clubbing are celiac disease and cirrhosis of the liver.
More often than not our foot problems have no deeper, underlying cause. However, they can also be trying to tell you something important, so don’t ignore them!
If you have a foot condition you think you need to see a professional about, please visit our website at www.sweeneyfootankle.com to schedule an appointment or contact us at one of our two convenient locations in The Woodlands or Magnolia.