Common Foot Ailments
Many people take their feet for granted until something goes wrong. Many common foot ailments can be prevented with a bit of effort and foot care.
The human foot is a remarkable piece of engineering, but also in some ways a flawed design. It has evolved in the human being as a result of our desire and need to stand upright and to walk and run in this upright position. Yet, it has to bear a great deal of weight and stress to fulfill its function. It is also often closed up in ill fitting shoes designed more with style in mind than with foot support. Many of the common foot ailments are a result of these factors.
Among the common foot ailments are bunions and corns. A bunion is an enlargement of the bone and tissue usually around the area of the big toe. They are often caused by excessive pressure on the toe from poorly fitted shoes. The type of bunion commonly called the “tailors bunion” got its name from the fact that tailors tended to sit in a position while working that put excessive pressure on the big toe. A corn or callus is a build up of dead skin cells. It results from the bodies attempt to protect itself again from excessive pressure on the bones and tissues of the toe.
People who suffer from diabetes are especially prone to foot infections. These infections result in red, hot, and swollen toes often accompanied by foul odors and fluid drainage. The diabetic foot infection is the leading cause of toe amputations and all diabetics must pay very close attention to foot care in order to detect and prevent them.
Other common foot ailments include ganglion cysts. This is a soft tissue mass in the tendon sheaths. They can be either benign or malignant. They fill up with a jelly like fluid and can become quite large and then “pop” and drain only to reappear again. Toe nail fungus and warts are examples of common foot ailments caused by the invasion of foot tissue cells by living organisms.
Arthritis is also fairly common in the big toe joint. This form of arthritis is sometimes called “wear and tear” arthritis as it is often associated with advanced age and has often been accepted as just the normal price the foot pays for years of bearing the weight of the body. Although not all common foot ailments can be prevented, many of them can be with just a bit of common sense and a regime of proper foot care. The foot should receive the attention it deserves as one of the most important organs of the body of the “upright” human being.