What Your Feet and Nails Say About You

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What Your Feet and Nails Say About You
Have you noticed any changes to your feet? Ever
wonder what those changes might mean? You can
detect everything from diabetes, circulatory
conditions, and vitamin deficiencies and much
more just from close examination of your
feet. Here are a few things you or a loved one
might notice

• Cramping Charley horses or cramps may be a due
  to a lack of calcium, magnesium, or potassium.
  Cramping in the legs when you walk may be a more
  serious sign of PAD (Peripheral Arterial
  Disease).
• Wounds that wont heal This is a major clue to
  diabetes. Other
• signs include excessive thirst and hunger,
  blurred vision and frequent urination. Get this
  checked immediately.
• Toenails with spoon-shaped indentations Anemia
  related to Iron deficiency often can present as
  concave, sunken indentations in the nail bed.
  Internal bleeding (such as an ulcer) or dietary
  issues can cause anemia. The nails may also
  look brittle and pale, and
• your feet may be cold. If you have felt
  fatigued, short of breath,

iii.
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• headache, and dizziness when standing as well,
  get checked for anemia.
• Hairless feet or toes Poor circulation,
  usually caused by vascular
• disease. The skin may also look shiny, and the
  pulse may be hard to feel. Many people with
  heart conditions often develop circulation
  problems as well.
• Cold feet This may be circulation, nothing at
  all, or may indicate a thyroid disorder. Many
  women over 40 develop cold feet in
• association with an poorly functioning thyroid.
  Hypothyroidism
• symptoms can be subtle changes like fatigue,
  weight gain, depression, and dry skin.

vi. Thick, yellow,
ugly toenails A fungus is present called
onychomycosis. By the time it is visible, the
infection is advanced. A suddenly red, swollen
big toe Probably gout. Gout is usually caused
by a buildup of uric acid in the joint. It
usually attacks the big toe first. This is
usually due to kidney problems or more likely
your diet. Numbness in both feet Having no
feeling or a sensation of pins and needles in
the feet is a hallmark of peripheral neuropathy,
or damage to the peripheral nervous system. The
top causes are diabetes and alcohol abuse.
Chemotherapy medications are another common
cause. Often times, the pain is worse at night
and may even affect your hands. ix. Pitted
toenails In half of cases of psoriasis, the skin
disease can also cause little holes in the
nails. The nails will also thicken and can
develop yellow or brown patches.
vii.
viii.
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x. Toes that bump up at the tips When the tips
of the toes lose their normal shape and appear
to bump upward at the tips, it is called digital
clubbing. It is a common indicator of respiratory
problems, including lung cancer. Heart Disease
and gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohns
disease are also associated with clubbing. This
can affect the fingers as well. xi. Feet that are
extremely painful to walk on Undiagnosed stress
fractures can cause severe pain. This is usually
caused by an underlying problem such as
osteoporosis, Vitamin D deficiency, a calcium
disorder, or anorexia. Blue nails This is a
condition called Wilsons Disease
Wilsons disease is a rare inherited disorder.
Wilsons disease causes the body to take in and
keep too much copper. The copper deposits in the
liver, brain, kidneys, and the eyes.
xii.
If you notice any of these conditions, speak to
health care provider.
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