Put to use for hours each day, feet are often neglected until a problem arises. If left untreated, what began as a minor ache or pain, could lead to the growth of a very serious condition. Awareness is the best method of prevention. Paying close attention for abrupt changes in temperature, color, or mobility will increase your chances of addressing problems as soon as they arise.
Start with the Basics
The most common indication of a need to seek medical treatment is pain. Whether sore toes, hurting soles, or a swollen heel, if you experience difficulty bearing weight or the pain continues to persist for an extended period of time, you should contact a podiatrist for a visit. Runners, joggers, pregnant women, and obese people are likely to self-diagnose aches and pains as being normal. Although home remedies may temporarily relieve discomfort, the only way to ensure you are in optimal health is to consult a doctor.
Hidden Signs
In certain cases, other health factors may prevent you from feeling the extent of your condition. Patients suffering from peripheral neuropathy, diabetics, and persons recovering from spinal cord injuries may not detect pain right away. This adds to the importance of daily examinations. Swelling, bruising, nail discoloration, and excessive peeling or cracking may be indicative of severe circumstances. Bunions and calluses are also examples of more common symptoms that may also require medical treatment. When symptoms in your feet are accompanied by other ailments such as high fever, tingling, or burning sensations, the need to seek a podiatrist’s opinion greatly increases, as an infection may be present.
Pain in Adolescents
Parents should be proactive when it comes to their children’s health care. Infants and toddlers may be suffering from symptoms that they are unable to verbally convey. Take note of your child’s mobility. Sometimes, their stumbling may not be caused by mere inexperience. Flat feet, hammer toe, and other apparent deformities should be treated at the first indication to ensure your child receives the best preventative care. Active children between the ages of 8-14 can mistake calcaneal apophysitis for a regular heel pain resulting from a long day at play. Lingering discomfort or aches that reoccur without cause could be the body’s way of alerting you to a greater issue.
On occasion, the signs and symptoms of your condition may not be clear and concrete. Women may not realize how the obsession with leg shaping footwear may be causing a condition known as “pump bump”. Pain perceived to be the result of ill-fitting shoes may actually be due to a trapped nerve. Plantar fasciitis could be the cause of what was assumed to be discomfort from a long day on your feet. If left untreated, Plantar fasciitis could lead to heel spurs. With the detrimental possibilities of misdiagnosing being too vast to list individually, the only way to be positive is to seek the help of a professional podiatrist. If you aren’t able to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms or if you just have an inclination to get some medical advice, please do so as soon as possible. You only get one body, treat it well- it has to last a lifetime.
Dr. Ian S. Goldbaum is a Podiatric Physician and Surgeon serving patients in Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach.
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