Changes to Watch Out for in Your Feet as You Age
Are you familiar with the old cliché that when older folks get together, all they talk about is their aches and pains? Well, it’s kind of true! Doctor appointments become more and more frequent as people age. The pursuit of good health is often on older Americans’ minds. Our senior patients – even the healthiest ones! – have to keep tabs on their blood pressure, failing eyesight, brittle bones, and pain in their feet.
Seniors often develop foot problems because they’ve spent decades using their feet! The miles have naturally piled up, as have the thousands of hours their feet have spent supporting their weight and carrying them forward. It’s not surprising that the various structures may need some TLC.
As you enter your golden years, you may notice changes in your:
- Nails. Toenail growth slows down as you age. Nails may also thicken, turn yellow, or split more easily. You may become more susceptible to ingrown toenails.
- Joints. Two things can happen to your joints over time. First, the soft tissues that hold your joints together may loosen, shorten, or lose their flexibility. When your joints aren’t held together well anywhere in your feet or ankles, you can lose stability and balance. Second, osteoarthritis may attack any of the 33 joints in each foot and ankle. Joints become arthritic when the cartilage between bones no longer provides cushioning, causing pain and stiffness when you move the joint.
- Skin. As time rolls on, your skin loses its natural moisture. It’s not unusual to see more cracked heels in our older patients.
- Toe structure. Deformities such as bunions, hammertoes, and claw toes may develop or, if you’ve had them for some time, progress to the point of constant pain.
Any change you see in your feet warrants a checkup with Fairfax County board-certified podiatrist Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm. Your yellowed nails may be a simple sign of aging, or they may indicate a fungal infection. Instability in your ankle due to arthritis puts you at risk of falling. Bunion surgery could save you years of pain.
There’s no need to suffer with changes in your feet. Walk, dance, and move about with ease well into your senior years with proper foot care from Clifton Foot & Ankle Center. Call (703) 996-3000 for an appointment with Dr. Wilhelm, or contact us online.
