Aging feet require special care as the risks for chronic issues like calluses, nail disorders, hammertoes, and bunions increase with age. If you’re looking to avoid developing foot issues as you grow older or simply wish to find out about foot problems with age, you’ve come to the right place.
What Are Foot Problems?
Depending on your profession, you may experience different foot problems with age. For example, decades of long standing hours during the day change your feet. Most of the natural cushion of padding under your heel and the ball of your foot diminishes with time. In addition to these, your arches also get less flexible and flatter, and the joints of your feet, as well as ankles, get stiffer. Developing certain medical conditions on top of these issues mentioned can put a person at greater risk of getting a chronic foot problem. Other parts of your body you’ve never had difficulties with may also become a concern. Let’s dive into the common foot problems that older individuals experience and ways to prevent yourself from developing these yourself.
Commonly Experienced Foot Problems With Age
- Hammertoes – Toe joins can sometimes curl under or up with some flexibility or full rigidity. This usually happens with the second toe but can affect one’s middle toe too, which results in a permanently dislocated joint.
- Calluses and corns – These are dead, thickened, and yellowed skin developed on toes from repeated friction, pressure, or rubbing on skin. For those dealing with these issues, it can be difficult to find the right shoe size since most of what you own won’t fit you already.
- Bunions – These are bony, misaligned bones at the base of one’s big or small toe.
- Diabetes-related foot issues – Stubborn foot ulcers that are hard to heal, circulation issues, and a loss of feeling in the foot can arise from diabetes-related foot issues.
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome – A type of pinched nerve disorder caused by anything that produces compression on the posterior tibial nerve. Those with flat feet have a higher risk of developing this.
Don’t Let Foot Problems With Age Ruin Your Golden Years
One in three individuals over 65 years of age experience various foot problems like stiffness and pain. Those who are obese, dealing with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and knee pains have much higher chances of developing foot problems, which only worsen with age. To lower your chances of suffering from such problems in the future, here are some measures you can take:
- Pick well-cushioned, roomy, and comfortable shoes
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Stretch your ankles and toes before engaging in physical exercise
- Practice good foot hygiene
- Always put on footwear when you leave the house
Some of these may seem obvious, but many people do brush them off. If you notice any discomfort or pain in your feet, do visit your doctor for a medical check-up before anything gets worse, just in case.
Why Choose Discovery Commons At Bradenton?
At Discovery Commons At Bradenton, our dedicated team always ensure that residents are getting the treatments they require at the proximity of their comfort zones. If you have any inquiries about our range of services, feel free to contact us today.
