4 Ways Aging Affects Your Feet
All the wear and tear of daily living adds up over time with a variety of foot and ankle problems becoming increasingly more likely and more severe. Toe deformities like bunions and hammertoes are more common and immune and circulation problems can add a host of other worrisome issues. Fortunately, by making regular visits to your foot doctor you can minimize and even prevent many age-related problems.
4 foot and ankle problems that are likely to occur more frequently as you get older include the following:
1) Joint problems—Joint pain and stiffness from arthritis tend to worsen as you get older and often affect the big toe and ankle joints. Severe stiffness and pain in the large joints of the ankle and the big toe are often caused by gout.
2) Toenail texture changes—Problems with blood circulation can cause the toenails to become much thicker and more brittle. This can make them harder to trim properly thereby increasing ingrown toenail problems from a poor cutting technique. See your foot doctor and avoid complications.
3) More frequent microbial infections—Your immune system tends to weaken with age allowing viral, bacterial, and fungal infections to become more common and severe.
4) Your skin gets drier—Your skin becomes much drier as you age, so be sure to properly hydrate every day. Skin conditions like corns and calluses will become more frequent.
Getting older takes a toll on your feet, so for help with age-related foot and ankle difficulties, be sure to see your foot doctor.
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.
