Although the distance of the years between your date of birth and your age may have widened some, that doesn’t mean that you have to feel older. Then again, certain parts of your body do show some signs of aging, no matter how young your spirit may feel. Feet have a particular bothersome habit of developing issues as you get older. Fear not. There are many ways that you can still enjoy your life in Levittown - you just have to add a few foot care routines each day. It’s not that time-consuming and you can reap tremendous benefits.

It’s always good to do research beforehand. But be sure to look at reputable sites that give you sound medical advice for your feet. Since the Internet has made it really simple for people to create web sites and sell unproven things or suggest possibly dangerous remedies, make sure that your source is a well-known one, like WebMd or something similar.

Here are some geriatric foot problems that you might encounter.

Common Issues

The main issues tend to be mild ones that can affect people of all ages. They include corns, calluses, and ingrown toenails. Make sure that you have the right footwear for your feet. Your immune system is not quite as robust and may have trouble keeping pathogens out - that may open the door for things like athlete’s foot and nail fungus.

Another thing to look out for is gradual flattening of the feet. Your connective tissues may loosen and you can develop tendonitis or plantar fasciitis. The skin of your feet, like much more your body, will get thinner and you will be losing padding in the heel, which means you don’t have protection from the ground. Metatarsalgia, which is pain in the ball of the foot can result as well as neuromas, which is pressure on the nerves of your foot.

Arthritis is where joints in your feet wear down and might even damage your feet to the point where walking is extremely painful or even impossible. Foot deformity is something you definitely do not want to have happen to you. Address arthritis as soon as you feel symptoms.

More Severe Ones

You want your feet to have adequate blood flow. Diabetes and circulatory issues present a big danger there. If that is compromised, that can lead to damage to your feet… up to and including tissue death, which might mean amputation. You need to pay strict attention to your overall health there and make sure that you are not losing sensation in your feet - which can then mask a host of other problems like cuts or bruises that won’t heal.

Overall Care

Check your shoes. Check your foot grooming equipment. Check your socks. Are they suitable for your needs? If you’re using a dull clipper, then it’s time to get a new one. Thin socks might feel comfortable but you need to have a well-fitting shoe to keep friction from causing blisters or calluses. Thick socks might be better but that might require a small bump in shoe size to accommodate that. But make sure that the socks are made of material that wicks moisture away instead of retaining it.

The most important thing to do is inspect your feet each day. See if there are any changes in the skin color, any cuts, or anything else. If the pain seems to worsen, then definitely seek out medical care. You need to find a balance to make sure that your quality of life continues to be excellent.

Of course, before you self-diagnose yourself of the above conditions, it’s always best to see a podiatrist to ensure that there are no underlying causes of your foot issues that might need more medical attention. That’s one drawback of the Internet. It has TOO much information at times. Only a doctor can verify. Once they have given you the OK, then you can go ahead and help your feet feel the best that they can.

Dr. John J Hickey is a podiatrist with many years of experience in helping people have healthy feet, no matter their age. He’s always happy to tell you what you can do for your foot care regimen. Give him a call at Levittown Podiatry to make an appointment: 516-735-4545.

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Levittown Podiatry

2870 Hempstead Tpke, Suite 103,

Levittown, New York 11756

Phone: (516) 735-4545

Website: https://www.levittownpodiatry.com/