Contents:
- Medical Video: 8 Serious Diseases Signaled by Our Skin
- How to detect disease from the foot
- 1. Dry and peeled heels
- 2. Fine hair on bald toes
- 3. The big toe is swollen and feels sore
- 4. Feet hurt in the morning
- 5. Feet numb
- 6. Black spots or lines under toenails
- 7. Red lines under toenails
Medical Video: 8 Serious Diseases Signaled by Our Skin
The body will show various signals when a problem occurs in the system. Usually, this sign will be shown through various things that are usually seen and can be felt physically. Well, the foot is one part of the body that can show various symptoms of the disease before being shown by other parts of the body. According to Carolyn McAloon, DPM, podiatrist and president of the California Podiatric Medication Association, the foot is the first part to be affected if there is a problem with the nerve because it is located farthest from the heart and spine. Sensitivity is needed to be able to detect disease from the foot through various signals that it shows.
How to detect disease from the foot
Detecting diseases from the feet can be done by seeing and feeling the condition. The following are various foot conditions that indicate a number of health problems in the body.
1. Dry and peeled heels
If your heel is dry, cracked, or exfoliated, you may have thyroid problems. The thyroid gland produces hormones that control metabolic rate, blood pressure, tissue growth, and nervous system development. Well, this thyroid problem will usually be marked by severe dryness in the legs.
To distinguish it from ordinary dryness, try using a moisturizer for several days. If you don't also experience changes, try to see if you experience a variety of other symptoms such as weight gain, hand numbness, frequent trembling, heart palpitations or blurred vision.
If so, the sign is that you need to consult a doctor immediately to ascertain the actual condition.
2. Fine hair on bald toes
Both women and men have fine hair on their toes. However, if this hair suddenly falls out and disappears, then this indicates poor blood circulation due to peripheral arterial disease.
When plaque builds up in the leg arteries, the blood flow is limited so it can shed hair on your toes. According to Suzanne Fuchs, DPM, a podiatric surgeon at North Shore University Hospital in New York, another sign that shows this artery disease is that the toes turn purplish and the skin around the wrists becomes thinner.
If you experience these symptoms, immediately go to the doctor to check the condition. The reason is, if it is not immediately treated this disease can cause a heart attack or stroke until the risk of experiencing amputation. In addition, you can also control symptoms by quitting smoking, having a healthy diet, and exercising regularly.
3. The big toe is swollen and feels sore
Swollen, red, hard and painful big toe can be a marker of gout, which is arthritis which usually attacks the big toe. If this happens, chances are that you have just eaten food that can trigger gout.
High purine foods such as red meat, offal, fish, seafood, nuts and certain types of alcohol can increase uric acid levels in the body. Normally, uric acid will be released through the urine, but if the levels in the body are excessive and the output is reduced, then deposition will occur and usually attack the thumb or ankle.
4. Feet hurt in the morning
Feet hurt and stiffness when you wake up in the morning can be a sign of rheumatism or rheumatoid arthritis. Usually this condition feels worse when you step on the floor and step it on.
Apart from rheumatism, this condition can also be caused by plantar fasciitis, a condition caused by inflammation of the thick tissue that connects the heel to your toes. Stretching your legs before getting out of bed can help prevent plantar fasciitis.
Then, in addition to these two conditions, leg pain in the morning can be caused by muscle cramps. To avoid this, you can stretch the leg muscles before getting out of bed.
However, cramping can also indicate that you are dehydrated and lack calcium, potassium, and magnesium in your daily intake. To overcome this, fulfill your daily nutritional needs and complete with drinking water before going to bed.
5. Feet numb
Just like baldness in the hair on the toes, numb feet are caused by a lack of blood flow in the area and indicate a problem with peripheral arterial disease.
In addition, this condition is one of the common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy associated with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can complicate blood flow to the legs. This can cause injuries that are difficult to heal and susceptible to infection.
If you experience this condition, immediately consult a doctor and do a healthy lifestyle such as exercising regularly and eating foods that are healthy and rich in nutrients.
6. Black spots or lines under toenails
Black or dark spots and lines under toenails can be a sign of acral lentiginous melanoma or hidden melanoma. This disease includes skin cancer that appears in obscure parts of the body such as the eyes and mouth. This dark line usually extends from the base to the tip of the nail. To make sure, you need to go to a dermatologist.
Other nail discoloration can also be caused by a fungal infection that is usually yellow brown and spreads throughout the nail. For that, try to be more sensitive when you cut your nails so that you can detect the disease from your feet early.
7. Red lines under toenails
The appearance of a red line under the toenails indicates that there is a ruptured blood vessel known as splinter bleeding. This condition occurs when small blood clots damage small capillaries under the nail. Generally, this condition indicates an infection in the heart layer (endocarditis).
People who have heart disease, use a pacemaker, or who have an immune system problem are more at risk of experiencing this. If not treated immediately, this infection can cause heart failure. For that, if you see any bleeding in the toenails without a clear reason, immediately consult a doctor to check your heart and blood circulation.
You can detect foot diseases before bed and when cutting your nails. Never ignore the small marks given by the body because the impact can be very large on your health. Detecting disease early becomes one of the easy ways that can be practiced to prevent the severity of the disease.
