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It’s fairly common for seniors to have a little foot pain. Problems with feet seem predictable enough that we often don’t really think of foot problems as something to be addressed until they become unbearable.
Just how common are foot problems for seniors and the elderly? HealthinAging.org tells us that a whopping 87% of people feel pain in their feet at various times in their life, and one of every three seniors suffers from stiffness, pain, or aching in their feet.1 Many medical issues, such as diabetes or arthritis, can make foot problems even worse.
Paying attention to foot problems matters much more as we get older. That’s because the feet and toes can be the canary in the coal mine, alerting you to health problems and giving you the opportunity to get to the doctor before they get worse.
You likely already know that the risk of falls goes up as we get older, which is a great reason to opt for senior alert systems as part of a plan for aging in place. The risk of other health problems goes up too as we age. Let’s look at some of the potential problems and what your feet might be telling you.
Peripheral Arterial Disease
If you are like most people, you have a sprinkling of hair on the top of your feet and toes. If that hair slowly gets thinner and goes away completely, it might be a problem with your circulation (specifically, peripheral arterial disease, or PAD). This is a common problem, as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says one in every 20 seniors over the age of 50 has PAD.2 The condition increases your risk of heart attack or stroke.
As the blood flow to your toes is slowly compromised by thickening and hardening blood vessels, the hair on your feet starts to vanish. You might also experience skin that is thinner and more easily injured, shiny skin, and toes that are purple tinged – but not necessarily any pain. If you notice that your feet and toes are balding, tell your doctor.
High Blood Sugar
The hallmark of diabetes is high blood sugar. When your blood sugar is too high, it can lead to a host of problems, including poor circulation. When your skin doesn’t get enough blood flow, it can be tough for wounds to heal. That’s why those with diabetes might wind up with a serious medical problem from what would otherwise be a simple blister or small wound. If you get any kind of wound on your feet and it seems to take an exceptionally long time to heal, you might be dealing with diabetes.
There’s something else to watch out for: tingling, numbness, sharp pains, and burning in your feet. These are all signs of nerve damage, which is another big problem with diabetes. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, even if they are transient, talk to your doctor. A simple blood test can tell you if you have diabetes or if you are on the verge of it.
Gout
Gout is a certain type of arthritis that might seem to come and go. Certain foods that are high in purine, a chemical compound naturally found in fish, red meat, and some alcohol, can raise the levels of uric acid in the blood. When this happens, tiny crystals of that acid will accumulate in certain joints – and the first place it tends to target is your big toe.
You might go to a restaurant and have a great meal, then wake up the next morning with a painful toe. Sometimes it affects other parts of your foot or even other joints, but the big toe tends to be the starting line for uric acid deposits. If your toe is swollen, painful, and red, talk to your doctor. Anti-inflammatory drugs might be the best option, as well as a low-purine diet.
An attack of pain associated with gout is a good example of why using a button alarm is so important. If you have gout, one day you’re perfectly fine and the next, you could be suffering from swollen and painful feet. That sudden change in your body can throw you off balance, literally and figuratively. Wearing a medical alert device at all times helps you to be prepared for any unexpected occurrences.
Issues with Your Thyroid
Thyroid problems can present as a long list of different medical conditions. That’s because the thyroid gland produces hormones that affect almost everything in your body, including your metabolic rate, the development of your nervous system, strong bones, blood pressure, and the growth and maintenance of tissues in your body.
So what can your feet tell you about thyroid problems?
Look for dry, flaky skin that isn’t alleviated by moisturizers. Sometimes, dry skin is just dry skin – but if you are suffering from dry skin that doesn’t seem to abate no matter what you do and even gets worse, progressing to thick and cracking skin, it’s time to get your thyroid checked out. Rest assured you aren’t alone; the Cleveland Clinic reports that about 20 million people in the United States have some sort of thyroid problem.3
Endocarditis
The idea of a heart infection is quite frightening, but the good news is that by paying attention to what your toes are telling you, it’s possible to catch it early enough for proper treatment. If you develop red streaks underneath your toenails and fingernails, those could be “splinter hemorrhages.” They are caused by some trauma to the nail that leads to broken blood vessels. And while this can happen if you stub your toe, if it happens with no trauma you can recall, it’s time to get concerned.
Though this infection is rare, it’s quite serious. You are more likely to develop it if you already have a heart condition. Talk to your doctor about your toes to rule out fungal infections, psoriasis, or other problems that can cause this.
And here’s another tip: in the event of trauma, you will usually notice splinter hemorrhages on only the affected toenail. If it’s a heart condition, you might notice those hemorrhages on more than one toe, perhaps even on all of them.
Heart Disease or Lung Cancer
When you are dealing with a lower amount of oxygen in the blood, you might experience clubbing of the fingers and toes. Medical conditions of the heart and lungs can lead to lower oxygen uptake with every breath, which can eventually lead to consistently lower oxygen levels in the blood. As this happens, the tissues where the tiniest blood vessels are, including the fingers and toes, will begin to swell. As a result, those extremities can change shape over time, taking on a short, clubbed appearance.
If you notice clubbing, it’s time to get to the doctor right away. Though in most cases you will already be aware of a heart or lung condition that you already have, clubbing indicates that it might be getting worse. Get checked out ASAP.
Psoriasis
You might be familiar with psoriasis as a skin condition, but did you know it can affect the nails too? Tiny holes, ridges, or grooves in your toenails can be a sign of it. You might also notice horizontal lines across the nails or discolored patches. And you don’t have to have skin psoriasis to have nail psoriasis. These issues with the toenails can be your first sign.
Fortunately, there are several ways to treat the problem, including steroid injections and topical creams. The sooner you address it with your doctor, the sooner you can find ways to alleviate it.
Skin Cancer
One of the frightening things about melanoma is that it can literally hide in plain sight. Hidden melanoma, medically known as acral lentiginous melanoma, is a form of cancer that appears on body parts where you wouldn’t expect melanoma to be, such as in the eye or the mouth. On your toenails, it can show up as a dark, vertical line that runs from the base of the nail to the tip of it.
However, in most cases, a black line under the toenail is a sign of a fungal infection that can be easily treated. But why take the chance and worry about what it might be? Talking to a doctor, dermatologist, or podiatrist can give you the answers you need.
Anemia
Have you noticed your toenails changing shape, becoming spooned or cupped? Depressions in your toenails are also known as koilonychias, which is a common symptom of a severe iron deficiency. But before the nails become spooned, they will become flat. This is often the result of malnutrition or thyroid disorders, but the most common cause is anemia. Interestingly, hemochromatosis – an overload of iron in the blood – can also cause the problem.
Flattening of the nails sometimes happens as a person ages, so it might not be a serious issue. But there’s no way to know unless your doctor takes a look. A simple blood test will determine if you have anemia and treatment is often quite effective.
Nerve Damage
Does it seem like the arches of your feet have changed lately? If your arches seem to be higher, it might not be all in your head. That’s especially true if you also have numbness in your feet, changes in your gait, and difficulty with balance. High arches are often a sign of nerve damage or a neuromuscular condition, such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disorder. It’s very important to get changes in your arches checked out right away, as many neurological conditions are progressive but can be slowed by prompt treatment.
Be Prepared for Falls
Any issue with your feet can lead to a greater risk of falls. Even occasional numbness or a flash of pain can be enough to affect your balance.
That’s why it’s vitally important to wear a medical alert necklace at all times. While falling down and getting injured is an awful thing to deal with, what’s even worse is the prospect of lying on the floor in pain for hours, hoping that someone will come to help you. With an emergency panic button alert for seniors from Alert1, there are no worries about lingering in pain while you hope for assistance. Simply press the help button and a trained professional will be on the line in moments, ready to assist you.
