As we age, all those wonderful years of walking, running, dancing, and just standing there put a lot of stress and pressure on your poor old feet and ankles. Age-related changes are inevitable. However, you can minimize, delay, and even avoid many problems with proper care and regular visits to your foot care professional.

5 signs that your feet are aging include the following:

  • Joint pain and swelling—Arthritis often crops up as we age, affecting foot and ankle joints and causing considerable pain, stiffness, and discomfort.
  • Your feet expand—Gravity and pressure cause your feet to expand over time. The tendons and ligaments in your feet will loosen and weaken as you age, possibly causing plantar fasciitis and tendonitis. Your feet could expand a full size larger, which is why you should always get properly measured when shopping for new shoes. Have your foot doctor instruct you on the use of custom orthotic inserts to help with a variety of foot and ankle problems.
  • Thickening toenails—The rate of nail growth decreases as we age, and hormone and blood circulation changes can cause the toenails to become brittle and thick.
  • Microbial infections—Since your immune response weakens as you get older and fungal and bacterial infections become harder to fight, you may notice an increase of fungal toenail infections and infected wounds, especially if you have diabetes.
  • Increase in corns and callusesDehydration increases as you age, so always drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. Calluses and heel fissures can become larger, dryer, and more brittle. Your foot doctor can treat heel fissures without making them worse.

If you are experiencing foot and ankle problems from aging (and who isn’t?), see your foot doctor for the proper care. Dr. Scott Nelson of Foot and Ankle Medical Clinic in Garland, TX is a board-certified and highly experienced podiatrist who has helped people suffering from all types of foot and ankle injuries and deformities. From bunions to diabetic foot problems, sports injuries and fungal nails, you can trust that Dr. Nelson and his staff are wholeheartedly devoted to your foot health. Please contact our office with any questions you may have or to schedule an appointment by calling 972-414-9800.

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