![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.onhealth.com\/images\/slideshow\/s1-bill-health-facts.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
When we are in love we may be “swept
\noff our feet.” When we don’t want to do something, we are said to have “cold
\n feet.” A sensible person “has both feet
\non the ground.” Sometimes we even “vote with our feet.” <\/i><\/p>\n
Years of wear and tear can be hard on our feet. So can
\ndisease, poor circulation, improperly trimmed toenails, and wearing shoes that
\ndon’t fit properly. Problems with our feet can be the first sign of more serious
\nmedical conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, and nerve and circulatory
\n disorders. <\/p>\n
Preventing Foot Trouble<\/b><\/p>\n
Practice good foot care. Check your feet regularly, or
\nhave a member of your family check them. Podiatrists and primary care doctors (internists and family
\npractitioners) are qualified to treat most foot problems. Sometimes the special
\nskills of an orthopedic surgeon or dermatologist are needed. <\/p>\n
It also helps to keep blood circulating to your feet as much as possible. Do
\nthis by putting your feet up when you are sitting or lying down, stretching if
\nyou’ve had to sit for a long while, walking, having a gentle foot massage, or
\ntaking a warm foot bath. Try to avoid pressure from shoes that don’t fit right.
\nTry not to expose your feet to cold temperatures. Don’t sit for long periods of
\ntime (especially with your legs crossed). Don’t smoke. <\/p>\n
Wearing comfortable shoes that fit well can prevent many foot ailments. Here
\nare some tips for getting a proper shoe fit: <\/p>\n
The upper part of the shoes should be made of a soft,
\nflexible material to match the shape of your foot. Shoes made of leather can
\nreduce the possibility of skin irritations. Soles should provide solid footing and not be slippery.
\nThick soles cushion your feet when walking on hard surfaces. Low-heeled shoes
\nare more comfortable, safer, and less damaging than high-heeled shoes. <\/p>\n
Common Foot Problems<\/b><\/p>\n
Fungal and Bacterial Conditions,<\/b> including athlete’s foot, occur
\nbecause our feet spend a lot of time in shoes – a warm, dark, humid place that
\nis perfect for fungus to grow. Fungal and bacterial conditions can cause dry
\nskin, redness, blisters, itching, and peeling.
\nIf not treated right away, an infection may be hard to cure. If not treated
\nproperly, the infection may reoccur. To prevent infections, keep your feet –
\nespecially the area between your toes – clean and dry. Change your shoes and
\nsocks or stockings often to help keep your feet dry. Try dusting your feet daily
\nwith foot powder. If your foot condition does not get better within 2 weeks, talk to your doctor. <\/p>\n
Dry skin<\/b> can cause
\nitching and burning feet. Use mild soap in small amounts and a moisturizing
\ncream or lotion on your legs and feet every day. Be
\ncareful about adding oils to bath water since they can make your feet and
\nbathtub very slippery. <\/p>\n
Corns and calluses<\/b>
\nare caused by friction and pressure when the bony parts of your feet rub against
\nyour shoes. If you have corns or calluses, see your doctor. Sometimes wearing
\nshoes that fit better or using special pads solves the problem. Treating corns
\nand calluses yourself may be harmful, especially if you have diabetes or poor
\ncirculation. Over-the-counter medicines contain acids that destroy the tissue
\nbut do not treat the cause. Sometimes these medicines reduce the need for
\nsurgery, but check with your doctor before
\nusing them. <\/p>\n
Warts<\/b> are skin
\ngrowths caused by viruses. They are sometimes painful and, if untreated, may
\nspread. Since over-the-counter preparations rarely cure warts, see your doctor.
\nA doctor can apply medicines, burn or freeze the wart
\noff, or take the wart off with surgery. <\/p>\n
Bunions<\/b> develop when the joints
\nin your big toe no longer fit together as they should and become swollen and
\ntender. Bunions tend to run in families. If a bunion is not severe, wearing
\nshoes cut wide at the instep and toes, taping the foot, or wearing pads that
\ncushion the bunion may help the pain. Other
\ntreatments include physical therapy and wearing orthotic devices or shoe
\ninserts. A doctor can also prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs and cortisone injections
\nfor pain. Sometimes surgery is needed to relieve the pressure and repair the toe
\njoint. <\/p>\n
Ingrown toenails<\/b> occur when a
\npiece of the nail breaks the skin – which can happen if you don’t cut your nails
\nproperly. Ingrown toenails are very common in the large toes. A doctor can
\nremove the part of the nail that is cutting into the skin. This allows the area
\nto heal. Ingrown toenails can often be avoided by cutting the toenail straight across and level with the top of the
\ntoe. <\/p>\n
Hammertoe<\/b> is caused by a
\nshortening of the tendons that control toe movements. The toe knuckle is usually
\nenlarged, drawing the toe back. Over time, the joint enlarges and stiffens as it
\nrubs against shoes. Your balance may be
\naffected. Wearing shoes and stockings with plenty of toe room is a treatment for
\nhammertoe. In very serious cases, surgery may be needed. <\/p>\n
Spurs <\/b>are calcium growths that
\ndevelop on bones of your feet. They are caused by muscle strain in the feet.
\nStanding for long periods of time, wearing badly fitting shoes, or being
\noverweight can make spurs worse. Sometimes spurs
\nare completely painless – at other times they can be very painful. Treatments
\nfor spurs include using foot supports, heel pads, and heel cups. Sometimes
\nsurgery is needed. <\/p>\n
For additional information, please visit the
\nSenior Health Center.<\/p>\n
Source: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of
\nAging<\/font><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Aging & Foot Care When we are in love we may be “swept off our feet.” When we don’t want to do something, we are said to have “cold feet.” A sensible person “has both feet on the ground.” Sometimes we even “vote with our feet.” Years of wear and tear can be hard on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5044,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[19],"tags":[70,72,67,71,68,66,69],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nctnc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5043"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nctnc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nctnc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nctnc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nctnc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5043"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nctnc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5043\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nctnc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nctnc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nctnc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nctnc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}