The Effects of Aging on Your Ankles & Feet

Aging can take a particularly heavy toll on your feet, as it does with the rest of your body. Given the great deal of stress that we place on our feet over an entire lifetime, it's not too hard to see why these problems end up occurring. Below, you'll find seven of the most common age-related foot problems for you to be aware of.

1. Hammertoe
Hammertoe is an abnormal bend in the joint of one or more of your toes and is usually caused by long-term use of narrow shoes or high heels. Hammertoes are also prone to calluses and corns, joint stiffness, swelling, and pain. What's more, the only way to get rid of a hammertoe is through surgical intervention. Toe pads, splints, and well-fitted shoes can help to alleviate some of your pain, though.
2. Arthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) affects around 10% of men and 16% of women over the age of 60. The ankle joint, subtalar joint, and the first metatarsophalangeal joint are the three joints which are most commonly affected. Common risk factors include obesity, hammertoe, bunions, or a past foot or ankle injury. Another joint problem affecting older adults is gouty arthritis, which is an autoimmune disorder that can cause acute and often debilitating pain, especially in the big toe.

3. Flat Feet
As your feet get older, the connective tissues in your feet, known as ligaments, will start to stretch out, reducing the height of your arch and causing flat-footedness. The pain experienced usually increases with activity and is normally accompanied by swelling. Hip, knee, and lower back pain are also common for flat-footed people. Since this condition can alter the angle of your foot, you may experience a loss of stability or an increased risk of ankle sprains.
4. Shortened Achilles Tendon
Your tendons may start to lose water as you age. If this occurs, you might end up with a more flat-footed gait, since you will be less able to flex your ankle, toes, and midfoot. This is particularly true of the Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. Unless you routinely stretch your Achilles tendon, you could be at a greater risk of a tear or rupture.

5. Dry Skin
Dry skin, particularly on the soles of your feet, is an issue which could require a daily application of moisturizer in order to prevent cracking and infection. If left untreated, cracked skin around your heels may make walking or even standing upright difficult tasks. What's more, deep cracks may put your feet at a heightened risk of infection, which could potentially lead to a serious infection known as cellulitis.

6. Circulatory Issues

Edema, a medical term for swelling, is frequently associated with poor circulation, leading to fluid accumulation in the lower extremities. Edema is normally associated with congestive heart failure, liver disease, and kidney disease, conditions which are common in aging populations. Circulatory obstruction may also lead to venous edema, which usually affects only a single leg. Cardiovascular disease, particular drugs, and hormonal changes can also cause swelling in both of your legs.

7. Toenail Changes
Toenails tend to thicken and turn more brittle as you grow older, which makes them more difficult to cut and maintain. Nails may also start to discolor, crack, and form uneven ridges and layers. While a good nail care routine may improve the nail's appearance, it might not completely prevent these aging-related changes.

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Common Foot Problems And Solutions

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Bunion

This bony bump at the base of the big toe causes that toe to veer toward the others. It throws foot bones out of alignment and can be painful due to pressure or arthritis. It might also lead to corns. Pain relievers, pads to cushion the bunion, custom shoe inserts, or surgery may help. You could also wear roomy shoes and avoid high heels.

Corns and Calluses

Friction or pressure causes these thick, hard, dead areas of skin. Corns look cone-shaped and point into the skin, usually forming on pressure points from poorly fitted shoes or a bone spur. Calluses tend to spread out more and can appear anywhere something rubs on your skin. Moleskin pads can help relieve a corn. Your doctor can trim calluses or correct them with surgery. You can also wear patches with medication that can remove calluses.

 Plantar Warts
These tough growths form on the soles of the feet. You get them when a virus enters your body through broken skin. They can spread through skin-to-skin contact or on surfaces in places like public pools and showers. The warts are harmless, so you don't have to treat them. In many cases they're too painful to ignore, though. You can apply salicylic acid to help get rid of them. But burning, freezing, laser therapy, and surgery to remove them work best for more severe cases.

Athlete's Foot

This fungal infection can cause peeling, redness, itching, burning, and sometimes blisters and sores. It's mildly contagious, spreading to others by direct contact or by walking barefoot in places like locker rooms or near pools. The fungi then grow in shoes, especially tight ones without air flow. Treatments usually include fungus-fighting lotions, or pills for more severe cases.

Fungal Nail Infection

Tiny fungi can get inside your nail through a crack or break, causing an infection that can make nails thick, discolored, and brittle. The fungus, which thrives in warm, wet places, can spread to people who swim a lot or who have sweaty feet. An infection won't go away on its own, and it can be hard to treat. Creams you put on your nail may help mild cases. Antifungal pills or surgery to remove the nail offer the best chance of clearing up a severe infection.

Hammertoe

When toe muscles around the joints get out of balance, they can cause painful problems. Hammertoe generally makes the second, third, or fourth toes bend downward at the middle joint. The condition sometimes runs in families. Other risks include tight footwear or an old injury to a toe. Well-fitted shoes with the right amount of space in the toe box, shoe supports, and surgery may offer relief.

Ingrown Toenail

It's just how it sounds -- a toenail that has grown into the skin. The problem can cause pain, redness, swelling, and infection. You can get them from cutting your nails too short or not straight across, injuring a toenail, and wearing tight shoes. For mild cases, soak your foot in warm water, keep it clean, and wedge a small piece of cotton under the corner of the ingrown nail to lift it off the skin. Minor surgery can remove all or part of the nail.

Flatfoot

You have this condition when your sole makes complete or near-complete contact with the ground. You can get it after an injury or because of a health problem, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Most people don't have symptoms, although weight gain, ill-fitting shoes, or standing a lot may cause pain in your feet and legs. Foot-strengthening exercises and shoes with good arch support or orthotics can help.

Common foot problems

Bunion

A bony bump at the base of the big toe, a bunion causes that toe to deviate toward the others. Throwing foot bones out of alignment and producing the characteristic bump at the joint's base, a bunion can be very painful due to pressure or arthritis, and may also lead to corns. Pain relievers, pads to cushion the bunion, custom shoe inserts, or surgery may help, as will wearing roomy shoes and avoiding high heels.

Corns and Calluses

Friction causes the thick, hardened, dead skin of corns and calluses, which form to protect sensitive skin. Appearing cone–shaped, corns point into the skin, and usually occur on areas that bear little weight. Calluses may appear anywhere there's friction, and spread out more. Both may be caused by ill–fitting shoes and will fade when friction stops. Moleskin pads can help relieve a corn; calluses can be trimmed or surgically corrected.

Gout

A form of arthritis, gout is characterized by sudden pain, redness, swelling, and stiffness, usually in the large joint of the big toe. Gout can also occur in the foot, ankle, or knees. and is caused by too much uric acid (UA) in the body, which can form hard crystals in joints. Attacks can last days or weeks, and may be treated with anti–inflammatories or UA–lowering medication. Talk to your doctor about diet changes that help break down UA.

Plantar Warts

Plantar warts are tough growths that develop on the soles of the feet. Contagious, they're caused by a virus entering through broken skin, and often spread via public pools and showers. Plantar warts are harmless and can be left untreated, but in many cases they're too painful to ignore. Topical salicylic acid may help, while burning, freezing, laser therapy, and surgical removal are more aggressive options for more severe cases.

 

Athlete's Foot

A fungal infection that can cause peeling, redness, itching, burning, and sometimes blisters and sores, athlete's foot is mildly contagious, passed by direct contact or by walking barefoot in areas such as locker rooms, or near pools. The fungi then grow in shoes, especially tight ones without air circulation. Athlete's foot is usually treated with topical antifungal lotions or oral medications for more severe cases.

 

Fungal Nail Infection

Occurring when microscopic fungi enter through a break in the nail, a fungal infection can make nails thick, discolored, and brittle. If left untreated, the nail infection won't go away -- and can be hard to treat. Thriving in warm, wet places, the fungi can be spread from person to person. Topical creams may help mild cases but antifungal pills are the best chance of curing a severe infection.

 

Hammertoe

When toe muscles get out of balance, they can cause painful toe problems. While some people are prone to hammertoe, other risks include tight footwear. Hammertoe generally causes the middle joint of the toe to bend downward, with toes appearing raised near the foot. Well–fitted footwear with the correct amount of space in the toe box, shoe supports, and surgery may offer relief.

 

Ingrown Toenail

A toenail that has grown into the skin, an ingrown toenail can result in pain, redness, swelling, even infection. Cutting nails too short or not straight across, injury to the toenail, and wearing tight shoes are culprits. For mild cases, soak the foot in warm water, keep it clean, and wedge a small piece of cotton under the corner of the ingrown nail to lift it off the skin. Minor surgery can remove all or part of the nail.

 

Flatfoot (Pes Planus)

Flatfoot is characterized by the sole of the foot coming into complete or near–complete contact with the ground. It may be inherited, caused by an injury, or by a condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Flatfoot symptoms are rare, though weight gain, ill–fitting shoes, or excessive standing may cause pain. Treatment includes foot–strengthening exercises, and shoes with good arch support or orthotics.

 THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.








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HIGH HEELS NOT GOOD FOR YOUR FEET

HIGH HEELS NOT GOOD FOR FEET