What Your Feet Say About Your Health

Keadaan kaki dan kuku kaki juga boleh dijadikan penunjuk kepada tahap kesihatan kita. Jika keadaan kaki dan kuku kaki tidak normal, tentu ada sesuatu yang tidak kena dengan kesihatan badan. Dengan mengetahui kaitan antara asas kesihatan dengan keadaan fizikal kaki dan kuku kaki, kita dapat mengesan lebih awal penyakit berkaitan dan rawatan yang sesuai boleh dilakukan di peringkat awal.

Secara ringkasnya, di antara keadaan fizikal kaki dan kuku kaki yang boleh dijadikan panduan atau penunjuk penyakit ialah:

1. Kaki sejuk – disebabkan oleh kurangnya aliran darah ke kaki.

2. Sakit kaki – akibat pakai kasut tumit tinggi, ada retak pada tulang kaki atau osteoporosis.

3. Penyakit Raynaud iaitu jari kaki berubah warna menjadi putih, kemudian biru dan lepas itu kembali merah dan normal semula – disebabkan salur arteri yang menyempit secara tiba-tiba (vasospasm) kerana perubahan suhu yang mendadak.

4. Sakit tumit – iaitu radang di ligamen yang melekat pada tulang tumit. Ia mungkin disebabkan oleh arthritis, senaman (exercise) berlebihan, kasut yang terlalu ketat atau kasut bertumit tinggi. Jika dibiarkan ia boleh menyebabkan jangkitan penyakit tulang, tumor atau retak tulang.

5. Jalan mengheret kaki – disebabkan oleh kurang deria rasa pada kaki kerana kerosakan saraf periferal, terutamanya bagi pengidap diabetes.

6. Jari-jari kaki membonjol – kelihatan permukaan kuku kaki membonjol dan melengkung ke arah bawah yang mungkin disebabkan oleh penyakit paru-paru atau jantung, masalah atau infeksi pada hati dan sistem penghadaman.

7. Kaki bengkak – jika bengkaknya sebentar sahaja seperti disebabkan berdiri terlalu lama atau duduk terlalu lama dalam kapalterbang terutamanya bagi wanita hamil, ia bukanlah suatu penyakit, tetapi jika bengkaknya berpanjangan maka ia boleh dikaitkan dengan masalah sistem limfa atau darah beku, sakit jantung, masalah buah pinggang atau tiroid.

8. Kaki rasa terbakar – biasanya ini biasa berlaku kepada pengidap diabetes disebabkan kerosakan saraf periferal, atau disebabkan oleh kekurangan vitamin B, ahli sukan yang terlalu aktif, penyakit buat pinggang, atau alirang darah yang kurang lancar di betis dan tapak kaki.

9. Luka yang menjadi kudis – ini merupakan tanda utama bagi diabetes. Oleh itu, bagi pengidap diabetes jangan sekali-kali dibiarkan luka pada kaki atau bahagian lain badan walau sekecil mana sekalipun lukanya perlulah dapatkan rawatan doktor dengan segera sebelum ia menjadi parah.

10. Sakit sendi ibu jari kaki, warna kemerahan dan bengkak – biasanya disebabkan oleh gout atau osteoarthritis (radang tulang).

11. Sakit di jari-jari kaki – ini mungkin disebabkan oleh kecederaan atau terlalu banyak tekanan ke atas jari kaki.

12. Kaki gatal dan kulit bersisik di kelilingnya – ini kebiasaannya terdapat pada kaki ahli sukan disebabkan oleh jangkitan fungus.

13. Jari kaki mencengkam – ini adalah kecacatan pada kaki disebabkan oleh kasut yang terlalu ketat atau pengidap kepada penyakit yang merosakkan saraf seperti diabetes atau kecacatan sistem saraf (neuro).

14. Kaki “cramp” atau kejang (ular-ular) – disebabkan oleh keletihan otot, aliran darah yang tidak lancar, dehidrasi, atau tak seimbang kandungan kalium, magnesium, kalsium atau vitamin D dalam badan, perubahan hormon pada wanita hamil atau sebab masalah tiroid.

15. Tompok hitam pada kaki – ini biasanya dikaitkan dengan masalah kanser kulit.

16. Kuku jari kaki kuning dan menebal – infeksi fungus menyebabkan penebalan kuku kaki yang bertukar warna menjadi kuning. Ini mungkin disebabkan oleh penyakit yang berkaitan dengan sistem limfa, masalah paru-paru atau rheumatoid arthritis.

17. Kuku kaki bentuk sudu (melentik) – disebabkan oleh kecederaan pada kuku atau selalu terdedah kepada pelarut berasaskan petroleum yang menyebabkan kuku berbentuk cekung (lentik) seperti sudu, kerana kekurangan iron (ferum).

18. Kuku kaki putih – terdapat kawasan putih pada kuku kaki dan ini mungkin disebabkan oleh kecederaan pada kuku atau sakit. Ini juga menyebabkan infeksi pada kuku atau psoriasis, tanda sakit hepa (hati), kegagalan jantung atau diabetes.

19. Permukaan kuku kaki lekuk – ini terjadi kerana terdapat gangguan semasa proses pertumbuhan kuku, yang biasanya disebabkan oleh psoriasis.

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What Your Feet Say About Your Health

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Cold Feet, Many Culprits

If your toes are always cold, one reason could be poor blood flow — a circulatory problem sometimes linked to smoking, high blood pressure, or heart disease. The nerve damage of uncontrolled diabetes can also make your feet feel cold to you. Other possible causes include hypothyroidism and anemia. A doctor can look for any underlying problems — or let you know that you simply have cold feet.

Foot Pain

When your feet ache after a long day, you might just curse your . After all, eight out of 10 women say their hurt. But pain that’s not due to sky-high heels may come from a stress fracture, a small crack in a bone. One possible cause: Exercise that was too intense, particularly high-impact sports like basketball and distance running. The weakened bones of osteoporosis increase your risk.

Red, White, and Blue Toes

Raynaud’s disease can cause your toes to turn white, then bluish, and then redden again and return to their natural tone. The cause is a sudden narrowing of the arteries, called vasospasms. Stress or changes in temperature can trigger vasospasms, which usually don’t lead to other health concerns. Raynaud’s may also be related to rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s disease, or thyroid problems.

Heel Pain

The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis, inflammation where this long ligament attaches to the heel bone. The pain may be sharpest when you first wake up and put pressure on the foot. Arthritis, excessive exercise, and poorly fitting also can cause heel pain, as can tendonitis. Less common causes include a bone spur on the bottom of the heel, a bone infection, tumor, or fracture.

Dragging Your Feet

Sometimes the first sign of a problem is a change in the way you walk — a wider gait or slight foot dragging. The cause may be the slow loss of normal sensation in your feet, brought on by peripheral nerve damage. About 30% of these cases are linked to diabetes. Nerve damage also can be due to infection, vitamin deficiency, and alcoholism. In many cases, no one knows what caused the nerve damage.

Clubbed Toes

In clubbing, the shape of the toes (and often the fingers) changes. The nails are more rounded on top and curve downward. Lung disease is the most common underlying cause, but it also can be caused by heart disease, liver and digestive disorders, or certain infections. Sometimes, clubbing runs in families without any underlying disease.

Swollen Feet

This is usually a temporary nuisance caused by standing too long or a long — especially if you are pregnant. In contrast, feet that stay swollen can be a sign of a serious medical condition. The cause may be poor circulation, a problem with the lymphatic system, or a blood clot. A kidney disorder or underactive thyroid can also cause swelling. If you have persistent swelling of your feet, see a physician.

Burning Feet

A burning sensation in the feet is common among diabetics with peripheral nerve damage. It can also be caused by a vitamin B deficiency, athlete’s foot, chronic kidney disease, poor circulation in the legs and feet (peripheral arterial disease), or hypothyroidism.

Sores That Don’t Heal

Foot sores that will not heal are a major warning sign for diabetes. Diabetes can impair sensation in the feet, circulation, and normal wound healing, so even a blister can become a troublesome wound. Those sores also are prone to infection. Diabetics should wash and dry their feet and check them for any wounds every day. Slow-healing of sores also can be caused by poor circulation from conditions such as peripheral artery disease.

Pain in the Big Toe

Gout is a notorious cause of sudden pain in the big toe joint, along with redness and swelling (seen here). Osteoarthritis is another culprit that causes pain and swelling. If the joint is rigid, it may be hallux rigidus, a complication of arthritis where a bone spur develops. Finally, turf toe is an ailment of athletes, particularly those who play on hard surfaces. It’s caused by an injury to ligaments surrounding the joint.

Pain in the Smaller Toes

If you feel like you’re walking on a marble, or if pain burns in the ball of your foot and radiates to the toes, you may have Morton’s neuroma, a thickening of tissue around a nerve, usually between the third and fourth toes. It is eight to 10 times more common in women than in men. It is caused by injury or too much pressure on the toes.

Itchy Feet

Itchy, scaly skin may be athlete’s foot, a fungal infection that’s common in men between the ages of 20 and 40. A reaction to chemicals or skin care products — called contact dermatitis — can cause itching, too, along with redness and dry patches. If the skin on your itchy feet is thick and pimple-like, it may be psoriasis, an over-reaction of the immune system. Medicated creams can relieve the symptoms.

Claw Toe

This foot deformity can be caused by that are tight and pinch your toes or by a disease that damages nerves, such as diabetes, alcoholism, or other neurological disorder. Your toes will be bent upward as they extend from the ball of the foot, then downward from the middle joint, resembling a claw. They may respond to stretching and exercises of the toes or you may need special or even surgery.

Foot Spasms

A sudden, sharp pain in the foot is the hallmark of a muscle spasm or cramp, which can last many minutes. Overwork and muscle fatigue are common causes. Other causes include poor circulation, dehydration, or imbalances in potassium, magnesium, calcium, or vitamin D levels in the body. The changing hormone levels of pregnancy or thyroid disorders may play a role. If spasms are frequent or severe, see a doctor. Strengthening exercises can help with muscle fatigue.

Dark Spot on the Foot

We associate skin cancer with the sun, so we’re not as likely to check our feet for unusual spots. However, a melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, can develop even in areas that are not regularly exposed to the sun. Melanoma can even appear beneath the nail, where it might look like a black spot.

Yellow Toenails

Your toenails tell a lot about your overall health. A fungal infection often causes thickened yellow toenails. Thick, yellow nails also can be a sign of an underlying disease, including lymphedema (swelling related to the lymphatic system), lung problems, or rheumatoid arthritis.

Spoon-shaped Toenails

Sometimes an injury to the nail or frequent exposure to petroleum-based solvents can create a concave, spoon-like shape. However, iron deficiency also can cause this unusual shape.

White Nails

Injury to the nail or illness anywhere in the body can cause white areas in the nails. If part or all of a nail separates from the nail bed (shown here), it can appear white — and may be due to an injury, nail infection, or psoriasis. If the nail is intact and most of it is white, it can sometimes be a sign of a more serious condition including liver disease, congestive heart failure, or diabetes. Talk with your health care team about any concerns.

Pitting of the Nails

Pitting, or punctured-looking in the surface of the nail, is caused by a disruption in the growth of the nail at the nail plate. It affects as many as half of people with psoriasis.

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