Health Chart: What Diseases Can Your Feet Tell About

In Chinese medicine, visual diagnostics are still used and it is considered a generally accepted statement that the state of all internal organs is literally "written" on the feet. We will not delve into the nuances of Chinese practices, but we will discuss what classical evidence-based medicine thinks about this. Evgenia Zaitseva, an orthopedic surgeon with 20 years of experience, a full member of the Society of the Order of Doctors of Italy, told us what features of the condition of the feet should be paid attention to and what health problems they may indicate.

Let's start with the fact that the feet are a loading organ: we "carry" all our weight on the feet. In them, all the liquid is lowered and stagnation is formed in the event of a malfunction of any organs. Therefore, the foot can “signal” problems in different ways - from changes in the skin to deformities in the joints. We will look into the most visible and common problems.

Increased sweating of the feet

Excessive sweating of the feet, or hyperhidrosis, is a fairly common problem. It can be caused by improperly selected shoes made of materials that do not allow air to pass through, as well as serious disturbances in the functioning of the body. For example, excessive sweating can occur in the case of endocrine disorders, problems with the cardiovascular system, hormonal disorders, and diabetes mellitus.

Therefore, if you notice a problem with hyperhidrosis, you should at least check your blood sugar levels, as well as visit an endocrinologist and cardiologist. But you should not be afraid ahead of time, because sweating can also occur due to nervous tension - in this way the body can react to stressful situations.

Dry skin

The opposite problem to hyperhidrosis is dry skin, which is not uncommon for residents of large cities. In the rhythm of busy everyday life, many of us simply forget about drinking enough water. Due to its deficiency, dehydration occurs, which inevitably affects the skin. If this is the only problem, it can be solved by normalizing the water balance and using a nourishing foot cream.

In case this does not work, it is worth considering general health prevention. Dry skin can signal a deficiency of vitamins A and E, a violation of metabolic processes in the body, disorders in the digestive system or the endocrine system. By the way, smoking can also cause dehydration, as nicotine destroys hyaluronic acid, which helps to retain fluid in the body (see also: "Hyaluronic acid: a recipe for eternal youth").

Swelling feet

Swelling is different. If they are not strong and appear mainly at the end of the working day, you can cope with them with the help of ordinary cold compresses, the good old way of raising your legs to the wall, as well as controlling salt and coffee consumption.

If the problem of leg swelling is of a regular nature and cannot be solved in the simplest ways, this may indicate existing disorders in the functioning of the liver and kidneys, and in some cases, violations in the work of the cardiovascular system. If the swelling is accompanied by redness, it is worth visiting a cardiologist and checking for blood clots. Edema with redness may indicate an active inflammatory process in the body.

Feet are cold

If you are in a warm room, in shoes or at least in socks, and your feet are still constantly cold, this is a serious hint of malfunctioning of the body. The simplest problem may be a sedentary lifestyle and, as a result, poor circulation. Chronic lack of sleep can also be the reason, due to which the metabolism slows down and, again, blood circulation is impaired (see also: "Myths about metabolism, in which you need to stop believing").

If, however, making adjustments to the daily routine does not resolve the issue, constantly cold feet can signal a malfunction of the thyroid gland and kidneys, and also serve as a good reason to check the level of hemoglobin in the blood.

Calluses and corns

Many are used to treating calluses and corns without proper attention, but in vain. The resulting callus can be sealed with a plaster and forgotten only if the cause is a new, not yet worn pair of shoes.

If the problem arises systematically, regardless of the comfort of the shoe, and at the same time may be accompanied by symptoms such as pain or discomfort in the back, lower back or knees, this means that you have a problem in the distribution of the load, including poor posture, misalignment pelvis, knee or hip problems, differences in limb length, etc. A qualified orthopedic surgeon can help determine the exact cause.

Foot cramps

Spasm in the foot and in the leg in general can occur due to high stress - for example, after a long run. If the legs reduce, regardless of external factors, then the cause may be impaired blood circulation in the lower extremities, a violation in the central nervous system, as well as the presence of thyroid diseases. Therefore, recurrent cramps and a feeling of numbness and tingling is a reason to make an appointment with a neurologist and endocrinologist.

PS:

Timely diagnosis helps to solve many problems in the early stages without serious medical intervention. In matters of proper foot care and correct diagnostics, it is better to contact a podiatrist, and not try to find out everything from a pedicure master.