Foot Health Awareness: Are Your Feet in Good Shape?

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Podiatrists Samantha Boyd, DPM, Hal Ornstein, DPM, Dan Phan, DPM and Joseph Saka, DPM are delighted when April rolls around. It’s Foot Health Awareness Month! It’s literally our job to keep our patients’ feet healthy in every way we can. You can help by taking some time during the month of April to examine your own two feet.  

So what are you looking for? How do you know if your feet need a visit to our Monmouth County podiatry office? Perform a foot exam and consider contacting us if you notice any of the following: 

  • Toes that curl - hammertoes, claw toes, and mallet toes are conditions that cause joints to bend unnaturally upward or downward. They can make walking painful.

  • Bumps that don’t belong - corns, calluses, ganglion cysts, and bunions are all examples of bumps that can make it difficult to wear shoes comfortably.

  • Swelling anywhere in the feet or ankles may be due to an undetected injury such as a stress fracture. A swollen foot caused by edema (water retention) is one of the signs of heart disease.

  • Scaly skin in-between your toes means there’s a good chance you’ve got a fungal infection.

  • Brittle toenails are another sign of fungus. They could also point to thyroid disease.

  • Discolored toenails - yellowed nails or white spots could mean that you’ve got a fungal infection. Black spots or lines could indicate something more serious such as melanoma.  

  • Cold feet can be a symptom of nerve damage or a problem with blood flow such as peripheral arterial disease.

  • Pain anywhere in your foot isn’t normal and you shouldn’t put up with it. Contact us for foot pain that doesn’t go away after a few days. 

Any of the board-certified podiatrists at Affiliated Foot & Ankle Center can help you with pain, swelling, or changes in your feet that concern you. Make it a habit to inspect your feet regularly. Call us in Howell or Jackson, New Jersey at (732) 905-1110 when you detect a problem and need medical care - including physical therapy or foot or ankle surgery. Click here to make an appointment online.