Swollen feet, sometimes called edema, is a condition where the muscles in the feet have an excessive buildup of fluid. Gravity pulls the fluid to your ankles and feet.
Swelling can be a symptom of a serious underlying problem, be it a sports injury, pregnancy, heart disease, fluid retention, kidney problems or another condition. If your feet swell chronically, is accompanied by shortness of breath or weight gain, see your doctor.
Slight swelling of the lower legs commonly occurs in warm summer months. Slight swelling is more likely to occur if a person has been standing or walking a lot.
Traditional treatment might include any or all of these suggestions:
Elevate your feet and legs. Place a pillow under your heels, and prop your feet on a chair or high stool. Use a leg wedge to elevate while sleeping.
Dip your feet into a tub of cold water or sit on the side of the bath with your feet under a cold-water tap. After this put your feet up for a while.
Reduce your salt intake. Salt causes you to retain water.
Do not abuse laxatives.
Take diuretics if prescribed by your doctor. Diuretics increase urination by pulling excess fluid out of your cellular tissues.
Practice good health habits. Proper nutrition and daily exercise improve the health of your cardiovascular system and your circulation, helping to reduce the tendency of your feet to swell.
Wear support socks or stockings and well fitting shoes.
Category: Diebetes
Dry cracking heels (xeorosis) is a condition of thickening and fissuring (cracking of the bottom part of the heels). This is a very common problem and in most people it is only a nuisance and a cosmetic problem. But when the problem persists, especially in diabetes or people with impaired vascular sufficiency, this can lead to a serious medical problem.
Common symptom of cracked heels are:
• Peeling and cracked skin
• Hard growth of skin on the outer edge of the heel
• Pain while walking
• Increased pain in thin soles or open back shoes
• Red or flaky patches on the heel of the foot
• Yellow or dark skin on the heel
• Itchy skin
Most common causes are:
• Dry skin
• Prolonged standing
• Wearing shoes with an open back
• In active sweat glands
• Misaligment of the metatarsal bones
• Flat feet
• High arched feet
• Improperly fitting shoes
• Athlete’s foot
• Surgery to the lower extremities
• Psoriasis
• Thyroid disease
• Diabetes
The best treatment for cracked heels are:
• Appling a moisturizing cream
• Using a pumice stone
• Wearing closed backed shoes
• Wearing shoes with a good shock absorbing sole
Foot care is really important but it is one part our bodies that we neglect too often. The skin is very delicate and we need to take good care of it if it is going to look good. Since the feet carry the weight of your entire body all day we need to be “aware and take care”. These tips can make a big difference:
• Keep hard, dry skin off your feet using a pumice stone. Soak your feet in hot water for about 5 minutes to soften the skin and help easily remove it. Use lotion or cream generously to help remove the dead skin. Then rinse off the residue.
• After removing the dry skin, soak your feet again for about 10 minutes in warm water. Add some mineral salts or palm sea salts, along with a few drops of scented oils that will relieve the aches and reduce the swelling.
• Dry your feet well, especially between your toes.
• Trim your toenails, cutting straight across the tip and shape gently with an emery board.
• Use a rich foot skin cream and massage in well. Cup your hands on either side of your foot and with your thumbs firmly press the upper part of your foot while pushing your thumbs outwards.
• Wait a while before wearing your shoes.
3 out of 4 people in the US experience serious foot problems but only a small percentage is born with foot problems.
Each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles. A quarter of all the bones in your body are in your feet.
Walking is the best exercise for your feet, contributing to general health by improving circulation.
Conditions like arthritis, diabetes, nerve and circulatory disorders can have their initial symptoms in the feet – so foot ailments can be your first sign of more serious medical problems.
Women have about four times as many foot problems as men. Doctors generally blame high heels for the difference.
Your two feet have about 250,000 sweat glands and can excrete as much as a cup of moisture per day.
Neglect and a lack of proper care, including ill fitting shoes, bring on foot problems.
If you put on weight, the bone and ligament structure of your feet might change. Get your shoe size rechecked to make sure you are buying shoes that are best for your feet.
Approximately 65% of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nerve damage, which in severe forms can create the need for lower limb amputations. Approximately 56,000 people a year lose a foot or leg to diabetes.
Walking barefoot can cause plantar warts. The virus enters through a cut.
Your two feet may be different sizes and the ball of the foot is twice as wide as the heel. Be sure to get shoes that fit.
About 5% of Americans have toenail problems in a given year.
The average person takes about 9,000 steps a day. That means that by 70 most people would have walked around the earth 4 times!
Did you know that about one in five people with diabetes enters the hospital for foot problems? In fact, many people with diabetes have mild to severe nerve damage. This can cause diminished feeling in the feet. As a result, you may not feel cuts, scratches, and breaks in the skin on your feet. These wounds can lead to unnoticed infection.
There are several specific problems that you should be aware of as a diabetic:
• Poor circulation can make your feet less able to fight infection and to heal.
• Calluses occur more often and build up faster on the feet diabetics. If not trimmed they can get very thick, break down, and turn into ulcers (open sores).
• Diabetic nerve damage (neuropathy) also can lessen your ability to feel pain, heat, and cold. Loss of feeling may mean that you might not feel a foot injury.
• Foot ulcers occur most often over the ball of the foot or on the bottom of the big toe. Ulcers on the sides of the foot are usually due to poorly fitting shoes. Neglecting an ulcer can result in infections, which in turn can lead to loss of a limb.
If the above problems are not cared for, amputation of the foot or leg may result.
Be sure to talk to your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms:
• Changes in the color of the skin on your feet
• Changes in skin temperature
• Pain in the legs, either at rest or while walking
• Swelling of the foot or ankle
• Open sores that are slow to heal
• Ingrown or fungus-infected toenails
• Corns or calluses that bleed within the skin
• Cracks in the skin, especially around the heel
Check your feet every day. Inspect the top, sides, soles, heels, and between the toes.
Numbness can be caused by anything that upsets the nerve cell’s chemistry. Examples include diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, liver or kidney disease, cancer, Lyme disease and many drugs. In this country, diabetes is the most common cause of foot numbness, but the numbness usually occurs after long-standing diabetes.
Numbness is often associated with or preceded by abnormal pain-like sensations often described as pins-and-needles, prickling or burning sensations called paresthesias. Any numbness or abnormal sensations need prompt professional medical advice.
Burning feet may be a temporary problem, such as athlete’s foot or sensitivities to fabrics or leather dyes. But if it continues over a longer period, it can be a more serious issue. A visit to the doctor for evaluation is recommended.
A serious cause of chronic burning feet is sensory peripheral neuropathy. This results from damage to the nerves that transmit sensation from the arms, hands, legs and feet to the brain. Causes of sensory peripheral neuropathy include:
* Diabetic neuropathy
* Alcohol abuse
* Vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia (pernicious anemia)
Treatment of burning feet is directed at the underlying condition, if known. To help relieve discomfort, try these tips:
* Wear socks made of cotton — which allows your feet to “breathe” — rather than synthetic fabrics.
* Avoid standing for long periods.
* Take a pain reliever when needed.
* Bathe your feet in cool water
People with diabetes have a 15 times greater risk of lower limb amputation than non-diabetic individuals. In many cases, the direct cause of amputation is obscure, although varying degrees of peripheral neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, trauma, infection, and impaired wound healing are implicated. Foot ulceration, gangrene, and amputation result from the synergy of these underlying factors when effective preventive interventions have not been applied in a timely manner.
Patient education regarding foot hygiene, nail care and proper footwear is crucial to preventing amputation. Injury can lead to ulcer formation, which is usually the beginning of a problem. Adherence to a systematic regimen of diagnosis and classification can improve communication between family physicians and diabetes sub-specialists and facilitate appropriate treatment of complications. This team approach may ultimately lead to a reduction in lower extremity amputations related to diabetes.
1. Take Care of the Diabetes Work with your health care team to keep your blood sugar within a good range.
2. Check Your Feet Every Day Look at your feet every day for cuts, blisters, red spots, and swelling. Use a mirror to check the bottoms of your feet or ask a family member for help if you have trouble seeing.
3. Wash Your Feet Every Day Wash your feet in warm, not hot water, every day. Dry your feet well. Be sure to dry in between your toes.
4. Keep Your Skin Soft and Smooth Rub a thin coat of skin lotion over the tops and bottoms of your feet but not between your toes.
5. Smooth Corns and Calluses Gently Use a pumice stone to smooth corns and calluses
6. Trim Your Toenails every week or when needed Trim your toenails straight across and file the edges with an emery board or nail file.
7. Wear Shoes And Socks At All Times Never walk barefoot! Wear comfortable shoes that fit will and protect your feet. Feel inside your shoes before putting them on each time to make sure the lining is smooth and there are no objects inside.
8. Protect Your Feet From Hot and Cold Wear shoes at the beach or on hot pavement. Wear socks at night if your feet get cold
9. Keep The Blood Flowing To Your Feet Put your feet up when sitting. Wiggle your toes and move your ankles up and down for 5 minutes 2 or 3 times every day. Do not cross your legs for long periods of time. Do Not Smoke.
10. Be More Active Plan your physical activity program with your doctor.
11. Check With Your Doctor Have your doctor check your bare feet and find out whether you are likely to have serious foot problems. Remember that you may not feel the pain of an injury. Call your doctor immediately if you have a cut, sore, or blister that does not begin to heal after one day. Follow your doctor’s advice about foot care.
12. Get Started Now Begin taking good care of your feet today. Set a time every day to check your feet and TAKE CARE OF YOUR FEET FOR A LIFETIME………..