Happy feet: the importance of foot health
We rely on our feet a lot. Balance, temperature regulation, standing and walking are just a few examples of activities that require feet. Feet carry the entire weight load from our bodies, suffer constant contact and impact with the ground and bear the force applied during physical activity.
When was the last time you thought about the health of your feet? For many, it’s not until something goes wrong—pain, an injury, or worse. The health of your feet, though, can be an important window into your overall health, so it’s important to pay attention to what your feet may be telling you.
Feet can supply key indicators about health issues before they may become obvious elsewhere. For example:
- Stiffness can mean inflammation or arthritis
- Numbness, tingling or burning sensations could signal diabetes
- Swelling, perhaps the most common, could mean something temporary, like a sprain, or something more chronic, like high blood pressure, heart disease or kidney disease
Physicians continually see the effects of delayed foot care and regularly stress the importance of preventative measures. Because foot health can be an indicator for other health problems, and non-healing wounds may adversely affect quality of life, it is important to take care of your feet each day.
Below are some tips to keep your feet healthy:
- Perform daily foot checks for the discovery of any new wounds or signs of diabetes – see this video to learn how to do a simple diabetes foot check
- Avoid walking barefoot
- Keep feet clean and moisturized
- Wear properly fitted shoes
- Avoid temperature extremes
- Keep toenails trimmed
- Wear socks or stockings with shoes
- Avoid over-the-counter remedies for corns
Did you know?
The majority of adults in the US acknowledge they do not care for their feet as regularly as some other body parts, such as their heart or teeth. Only two in 10 people consider their foot health regularly.