15 Clues To Your Health by Examining Your Feet

Are your feet BALD?  Always COLD?  Do they CRAMP?  Don’t ignore the signs, your feet could be trying to tell you something.

1. Your Feet & Toes are Hairless

Bald feet could be a sign of poor blood circulation to the feet.  Make sure you are maintaining a healthy diet, do not smoke, get regular exercise, and are appropriately managing conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or vascular disease.

2. Your Feet Go Numb

Some people complain of a “pins and needles” feeling instead of a full blown numb foot.  This is often experienced by diabetics, alcoholics, and chemo patients.

3. Your Feet Cramp

Dehydration is usually the culprit here.  If you fully hydrate and still experience this on a frequent basis, it might be good to assess your diet for adequate levels of magnesium, potassium, and calcium.

4. Your Feet are Always Cold

Seemingly always cold feet could be a few things, but some possibilities that could be linked to poor blood flow include high blood pressure, smoking, or heart disease, hypothyroidism, uncontrolled diabetes, or anemia.

5. Your Toes Change from White to Blue to Red

Those suffering from Raynaud’s disease often experience this, caused by a sudden narrowing of the arteries (called vasospasms).  Stress or temperature fluctuations can sometimes result in the very patriotic color change you see in your toes.  Raynaud’s may also be triggered by rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s disease, or thyroid problems so check with your doctor for the proper diagnosis.

6. Your Heel Hurts

The most prevalent cause of heel pain is a flare up of plantar fasciitis, an inflammatory condition often caused by poorly fitted shoes, excessive exercise, arthritis, and sometimes tendonitis or a bone spur.

7. You Drag Your Feet

Your significant other might be the first to point this newly adopted gait out to you.  Nerve damage is usually the culprit, often brought on by an infection, vitamin deficiencies, or alcoholism.

8. Your Toes are Clubbed (and often your fingers too)

If this is not a genetically inherited shape but rather something that has developed over time, you may want to talk to your doctor about signs of heart disease, pulmonary disease (lung), liver or digestive disorders, Crohn’s disease, or an infection of some type.

9. Your Feet are Swollen

Assuming you are not pregnant or you’ve been standing too long (especially in warmer weather), swollen feet can indicate poor circulation, a blood clot or an issue with the lymphatic system.  You should see your physician if it continues for days on end.

10. My Feet Burn

Diabetics often experience this burning sensation due to nerve damage but it can also be felt by those suffering from a vitamin B deficiency, athlete’s foot, chronic kidney disease, poor circulation, or hypothyroidism.

11. Your Big Toe Joint Hurts

This could be attributed to Gout if there is also redness and swelling (which ironically can look similar to an inflamed bunion (hallux valgus).  Gout is a form of arthritis and might be worth looking into if you wake up with a red, swollen big toe in the morning.  Turf toe could be another possibility, or hallux rigidus – a complication of arthritis where a bone spur develops.

12. You Feel Like You’re Walking on Marbles

Pain in the smaller toes can be brought on by Morton’s neuroma, a thickening of tissue around the nerve of the 3^rd and 4^th toes.  This is up to 10 times more common in women due to an increase in pressure on the toes (AKA high heels!)

13. Your Toes Resemble Claws

If your toe first arch up and then sharply down, resembling a claw, make sure you aren’t wearing shoes that are too tight or restrictive. If that’s not an issue, it could be signs of a nerve damaging diseases such as diabetes, alcoholism, or another neurological disorders.  Before you panic, often toes respond well to stretches and exercises before having to resort to surgery.

14. My Feet Spasm or Cramp

Make sure your hydration levels are on the up and up, along with potassium, magnesium, calcium, or vitamin D levels.  Unfortunately the hormone changes of pregnancy can also cause this.

15. My Toenails are Shaped Like Spoons

For this one, make sure your iron levels are up to par and you are not being exposed to petroleum based solvents.  Your fingernails will also most likely take on this concave shape as well.

Sources:

WebMD – http://tribune.com.pk/story/869270/7-things-your-feet-say-about-your-health/

Everyday Health – http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/health-answers/things-your-feet-telling-you-about-your-health/