Common Foot Problems with Seniors Part I
Senior citizens are prone to develop physical problems at the age of senility and fragility. Foot problems are more common than other problems in terms of frequency. A study on human anatomy at ripe age shows that 87% of older people suffer from many foot problems. Here is a look at different common foot problems for seniors so that they can learn what to do when they develop these foot problems.
A Look at Different Foot Problems
Foot problems for the seniors include arthritis, imbalance disorders, muscle weakness, calluses, corns, bony prominences, vascular-related disorders, diabetic ulcers, nail problems, poor circulation, loss of sensation, skin rashes, skeletal deformities and weight bearing imbalance.
The feet are open to bacterial and fungal conditions due to warm humid conditions within shoes. These conditions surface with symptoms like redness, dry skin, blisters, peeling and itching. Keeping the area between the toes dry and clean, changing socks and shoes often and using foot powder are several modes to prevent fungal infections.
Pressure and friction cause corns and calluses due to rubbing of bony parts of the feet against the shoes. Wearing shoes with special pads that suitably fit the feet can sometimes help.
The joints in the big toe when they become tender and swollen give rise to bunions. Bunions grow intolerable when they become severely painful. Wearing loose fitting shoes, using pads and taping the feet that cushion the bunions can remove the pain. Other treatments for bunions include shoe inserts or orthotic devices and physical therapy. Cortisone injections and anti-inflammatory drugs are often prescribed for pain. The joint can be also relieved through surgery.
Ingrown toenails take place when a nail piece breaks the skin due to improper cutting of nails. Occurrence of ingrown toenails is common to the large toes. Straight cut of the toenail at the level with the tip of the toe can keep ingrown toenails away.
Hammertoe commonly occurs when the tendons that control movement of the toes are shortened. The toe joint enlarges as well as stiffens due to rubbing against shoes. Wearing stockings and shoes with plenty of space for toes is good for hammertoes.
Bones of the feet develop spurs due to pressure and arthritis. Spurs are also caused by strain of the feet muscles. Being overweight, wearing tight-fitting shoes and standing for a long time worsen spurs. Spurs are at times painless and sometimes painful. Heel spurs are the most common, can be treated by using heel pads, heel cups and foot supports.
Warts are a viral foot condition. Warts are at times painful and spread further if left untreated. Prescription drugs hardly cure warts. In office therapy is often a recommendation to treat warts. They can resemble callouses but often have tiny "pin point" areas of bleeding within the tissue.
Degeneration of the foot joints gradually speeds up with age and activity. Some such aging phenomenons are circulatory impairment, tearing of cartilage, muscle strain, stress fractures and tearing of soft other tissues leave elders exposed to various foot problems.
Alert your physician if you suspect any of these conditions.
Dr. Maasi J.Smith / www.MyBadFeet.com,
"Foot Care From The Dr. Who Cares"
Common Foot Problems with Seniors Part II
Feet problems and remedies for active seniors
Fitness-freaks try to keep themselves fit even at an older age. They get involved in different activities such as jogging, playing tennis, walking and other activities to stay healthy and active. These activities are possible only with healthy and pain-free feet. However with aging, the foot loses its mobility leading to foot problems that restricts the activities seniors usually perform.
The foot has a complicated structure with 33 joints, 26 bones and more than 100 tendons, muscles and ligaments. With age, the feet increase in size and start flattening. The fat pads on the bottom of the feet get degraded, causing the feet to lose their mobility in the process. Being overweight will add to the problems, affecting the ligaments, muscles and general structure. This leads the way to those scary foot issues, Bunions, Hammertoes, Corns, are among a few. www.MyBadFeet.com
Foot problems in people are mainly due to poor fitting shoes, and genetics. In addition to structural conditions, there are more than 300-foot diseases. The most viable way to avoid majority of foot problems is by wearing comfortably fitting, clean shoes and socks.
Arthritis is a very common foot problem found among older individuals. Multiple joints can be affected simply due to the years of wear and tear. Those suffering from arthritis often have sore and swollen feet. Such people should wear especially designed shoes with high and wide space at toes and rocker soles reducing pain and stress at the ball of the foot.
How to buy the right shoes and avoid foot problems
Here are some tips that will help you find the right shoe:
• The size of your feet can change as you become older. Have you measured your feet before buying shoes? Best time is to measure your feet would be at the end of the day when your feet have expanded.
• Usually in most cases, one foot is larger than the other foot. Select the shoe that fits your larger foot comfortably. www.MyBadFeet.com
• Choose the shoe that has a shape similar to your foot.
• The ball of the foot must fit into the widest part of the shoe.
• Avoid those shoes that seem tight or are required to be stretched while wearing. www.MyBadFeet.com
• While fitting the shoe, check whether it has a gap of at least 3/8 inches to ½ inches for your longest toe at the end of each shoe.
• Have a walk wearing the shoes to ensure that the heel fits well and has minimal slipping. The shoe must not move up and down when you are walking.
• Spend some time wearing the shoe and walk on different surfaces to make sure that it fits you well.
• Most importantly, the upper part of the foot should have a flexible, soft material shaped like your feet. Try to get shoes made of real leather as they will cause less skin irritation.
• Soles of the shoe must be solid and not slippery. Choose thick soles, as they will cushion your feet when moving over harder turfs.
• It is always better to avoid wearing high-heeled shoes for long periods of time, 8 or more hours. Lower-heeled shoes are safer to wear and less damaging to the feet.
Dr. Maasi J. Smith & Staff Writers
www.MyBadFeet.com
"Foot Care From The Dr. Who Cares"
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