Foot Problem
Prevention
Information From The
American Podiatric Medical Association
Foot Health and Aging
Medicine and health awareness have progressed
so rapidly since 1900 that life expectancy of the average American has
increased by about 30 years. Older persons have become an increasingly
significant proportion of our total population -- and their numbers
are growing rapidly. In 1900, for example, there were three million
Americans aged 65 or older. In the year 2000, older people outnumber
children for the first time in history.
If older people are to live useful, satisfying
lives, they must be able to move about. Mobility is a vital ingredient
of the independence that is cherished by our aging population, and foot
ailments make it difficult or impossible for them to work or to participate
in social activities.
According to the US National Center for
Health Statistics, impairment of the lower extremities is a leading
cause of activity limitation in older people. As if foot problems weren't
enough of a nuisance, they can also lead to knee, hip, and lower back
pain that undermine mobility just as effectively. The NCHS says one-fourth
of all nursing home patients cannot walk at all and another one-sixth
can walk only with assistance.
Mirror of Health
The human foot has been called the mirror
of health. Foot doctors, or doctors of podiatric medicine (DPMs), are
often the first doctors to see signs of such systemic conditions as
diabetes, arthritis, and circulatory disease in the foot. Among these
signs are dry skin, brittle nails, burning and tingling sensations,
feelings of cold, numbness, and discoloration. Always seek professional
care when these signs appear.
Foot Problems
Can Be Prevented
For reasons that are difficult to fathom,
many people, including a lot of older people, believe that it is normal
for the feet to hurt, and simply resign themselves to enduring foot
problems that could be treated.
There are more than 300 different foot
ailments. Some can be traced to heredity, but for an aging population,
most of these ailments stem from the cumulative effect of years of neglect
or abuse. However, even among people in their retirement years, many
foot problems can be treated successfully, and the pain of foot ailments
relieved.
Whether due to neglect or abuse, the normal
wear and tear of the years causes changes in feet. As persons age, their
feet tend to spread, and lose the fatty pads that cushion the bottom
of the feet. Additional weight can affect the bone and ligament structure.
Older people, consequently, should have their feet measured for shoe
sizes more frequently, rather than presuming that their shoe sizes remain
constant. Dry skin and brittle nails are other conditions older people
commonly face. Finally, it's a fact that women, young and old, have
four times as many foot problems as men, and high heels are often the
culprits.
Observing preventive foot health care
has many benefits. Chief among them are that it can increase comfort,
limit the possibility of additional medical problems, reduce the chances
of hospitalization because of infection, and lessen requirements for
other institutional care.
Keep Them Walking
Studies show that care for a bedridden
patient costs much more than care for an ambulatory patient. In their
private practices and in foot clinics, podiatric physicians are providing
services designed to keep older people on their feet, and they serve
in hospitals and nursing homes across the country.
Records indicate that amputations and other
forms of surgery due to infections of the feet, many brought about by
diabetes, have been significantly reduced in recent years because of
early diagnosis and treatment. Further reduction in this area is a goal
of Healthy People 2010, a US Department of Health and Human Services
campaign endorsed by podiatric physicians, to encourage understanding
and application of preventive medical practices.
Foot Health
Tips From The APMA
• Properly fitted shoes are essential;
an astonishing number of people wear shoes that don't fit right, and
cause serious foot problems.
• A shoe with a firm sole and soft upper is best for daily activities.
• Shop for shoes in the afternoon; feet tend to swell during the
day.
• Walking is the best exercise for your feet.
• Pantyhose or stockings should be of the correct size and preferably
free of seams.
• Do not wear constricting garters or tie your stockings in knots.
• Never cut corns and calluses with a razor, pocket knife, or
other such instrument; use over-the-counter foot products only with
the advice of a podiatrist.
• Bathe your feet daily in lukewarm (not hot) water, using a mild
soap, preferably one containing moisturizers, or use a moisturizer separately.
Test the water temperature with your hand.
• Trim or file your toenails straight across.
• Inspect your feet every day or have someone do this for you.
If you notice any redness, swelling, cracks in the skin, or sores,consult
your podiatrist.
• Have your feet examined by a DPM at least twice a year.