How Foot Health is Linked to Heart Health
Heart Awareness Month is celebrated in February and it’s an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about blood circulation issues like peripheral artery disease (PAD) that can eventually cause severe heart problems like stroke and heart attack. Peripheral artery disease is the result of fat deposits on the lining of your arteries that causes them to narrow making your leg and foot muscles more likely to experience severe cramping during exertion.
Catching early signs of PAD in your feet can ward off major heart problems in the future, so be sure to see your foot doctor.
Peripheral artery disease often exhibits the following symptoms with many of them showing up in your feet and ankles first:
- Your toenail and hair growth on your feet will take much longer than before
- You may have severe muscle cramps in your extremities
- Loss of feeling in the legs and arms
- Your skin will have an abnormal sheen
- You will have a weak pulse in your lower legs and feet
- One foot will be colder than the other foot
- Men may experience erectile problems
- Cuts and scrapes don’t heal properly and may become infected
If you are exhibiting symptoms of PAD in your feet and ankles, make an appointment with your foot doctor for treatment to help avoid heart problems in the future. The foot experts at Desert Podiatric Medical Specialists, in the Tucson, Oro Valley, and Green Valley areas of Pima County, Arizona, have unparalleled experience in treating all aspects of foot and ankle care. Our team of doctors: Christopher M. Funk, D.P.M., FACFAS, Bradley A. Whitaker, D.P.M., FACFAS, and Peter C. Merrill, D.P.M., AACFAS, and Zeno Pfau, D.P.M., is dedicated to serving you with state-of-the-art, cutting edge medical technologies including the PinPointe FootLaser, custom-fitted orthotics, and Radial Pulse Therapy (RPT) for chronic foot, heel, or ankle pain. If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment, please call (520) 575-0800.
