Posted on January 6, 2014 by Dr Krista Archer
Life Saving Clues Only Your Feet Can Tell You About Your Health
Hair On Your Toes
Hairy Toes are a good sign! Having hair on your toes means your circulatory system is working properly; that blood is flowing down to the tips of your toes and encouraging the hair to grow. Without blood, the hair doesn’t grow. Bald toes could be a sign of a circulatory issue and you should see your doctor to talk about Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD).
Open Sore That Won’t Heal
A sore on your foot that’s not healing and has been there for a while, could be a sign of diabetes. Diabetes causes nerves to malfunction, and as a result, sensation on the bottom of the foot is lost. Most people don’t look at the bottom of their feet frequently, so a person could have a sore and not even know about it.
Diabetes Foot Test
Take a cotton ball and rub it on the top of your hand, taking note of what it feels like. Then, rub the cotton ball along the bottom of your foot. You’ll feel it the most along your arch area. You should definitely feel that it’s touching your foot. If you don’t, it could be a sign you have diabetes. It should feel fairly similar to what it feels like on the back of your hand.
Chronic Foot Cramps
Foot cramps are actually quite common. Cramping in your feet could mean a nutritional deficiency, such as an electrolyte imbalance, where sodium and potassium are out of whack. An electrolyte imbalance causes muscles to become ridged and tense. So if you have foot cramps, it could be a sign of nutritional deficiency.
What you can do:
- Drink more water, especially while exercising
- Have a banana to replace potassium
- Have an electrolyte replacement drink
- Take a magnesium calcium supplement
Cold Feet
What causes feet to be perpetually cold? If you have constantly cold feet, you should have your thyroid checked out because it might be a sign of Hyperthyroidism.
