Beware of poor circulation in your feet

One of the most important functions in your body is good blood circulation. When your heart pumps blood through blood vessels, its supplying oxygen rich blood to every cell and vital organ helping them carry out their daily tasks. Adequate blood flow from the brain to the extremities of your feet means you will feel more vibrant, energetic and have few if any symptoms of poor circulation.

But when blood circulation is compromised, your feet can be one of the first areas of your body feeling the effects. Over time, this can lead to more serious health conditions such as amputation, deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, or stroke.

Signs of poor circulation in feet

Take a look at your feet. Can you tell if they suffer from poor circulation by how they look or feel?  Besides cold or swollen feet, here are other signs you may have poor circulation to this extremity:

·      A sore, poorly healing wound or ulcer on the toe, foot, or leg

·      Hair loss or slower hair growth on the feet

·      Slower toenail growth

·      No pulse or a weak pulse in the legs of feet

·      Foot numbness or weakness

·      Tingling or “pins and needles” feeling

·      Pain or aching or a feeling of heaviness in the feet

·      Discoloration

·      Engorged veins

·      Increased blood pressure

·      Scaly or itchy rash

·      Development of varicose veins

·      Persistent coldness no matter what time of year

Causes of poor foot circulation

Poor foot circulation is caused by a variety of factors. Some are due to specific diseases a person may have and some are due to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. Here are common causes leading to poor foot circulation:

·      Age – Over the years, it is not uncommon for many of us to develop circulation issues. Some of this may be unavoidable or due to heredity but poor circulation is often dependent upon the age of the person.

·      Obesity – The more weight you gain, the harder your heart has to work to pump blood throughout the body. Excess weight, whether seated or especially when standing, affects circulation to the feet.

·      Diabetes – One of the most common complications of this disease is neuropathy or poor circulation to the extremities, such as the feet. Diabetes can cause swelling, hypertension, and issues such as burning, numbness, or tingling in the feet and legs.

·      Inactive lifestyle – To keep blood flowing smoothly, the body requires frequent movement. The sedentary you are, only puts you at risk for developing circulation problems.

·      Varicose veins – This condition often due to venous insufficiency is a condition associated with the inability of the venous system to adequately return blood from the legs back to the heart and lungs. Veins in the legs and feet appear gnarled and engorged. These damaged veins are unable to move blood as efficiently as other veins, resulting in poor circulation.

·      Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) – PAD is a disease that affects veins and arteries outside of the heart and brain. It’s caused by atherosclerosis, which restricts blood flow to all extremities but especially the legs and feet.

·      Smoking cigarettes – Few people would guess the negative consequences of smoking’s impact on their feet. The more a person smokes, the more clogged their arteries become. Nicotine found in cigarettes causes the size of our arteries to decrease, which not only means the heart has to work harder to get the same amount of blood through, but because feet are farthest from the heart, coupled with the effects of gravity, this can affect feet the most leading to poor circulation.

Best advice for improving circulation to your feet

Anyone who suspects they have poor circulation to their feet should discuss this with their doctor first to rule out any disease. Listing the signs and symptoms they are experiencing can help their doctor pinpoint a cause of it and what treatment plan is best for correcting the problem.

Here are several steps helping improve circulation to your feet with your doctor’s approval:

·      Eat a healthy diet and reach a healthy body weight – Many people with poor circulation often have hypertension.  High blood pressure, also known as the “silent killer,” can lead to reduced circulation and PAD. To reduce sodium intake while increasing potassium, eat more fruits and vegetables by having at least 5 servings each day. Be sure to high potassium foods such as sweet potatoes, avocadoes, berries, bananas, and citrus fruit.  By eating healthier foods, this also helps in reaching a healthy body weight improving circulation.

·      Increase physical activity – Movement is essential for a strong, healthy heart and one way to begin is to simply walk a little more each day. Reduce time spent sitting by also performing chair exercise, swimming, yoga, or gardening. Even though the pain of poor circulation to the feet may feel uncomfortable, moving around more can have a positive impact on these symptoms.

·      Elevate your legs – There are several reasons why elevating your legs is beneficial for your feet. First, elevating your legs takes the pressure off your veins. By standing or sitting for extended periods of time, puts more pressure on your veins, while elevating them relieves that. When your legs are elevated at least 6 inches above your heart, this gives your veins a break helping the flow of blood go back to your heart more easily. Elevating your legs also reduces swollen feet, again good for vein health.

·      Wear compression stockings – Pressure helps increase blood flow which is the purpose of wearing compression stockings. For your feet, compression stockings help lessen tiredness and achiness, reduces swelling in your feet and ankles, and may prevent spider and varicose veins.

·      Quit smoking – Smoking threatens your circulatory health by increasing poor circulation. Kicking the habit allows you to greatly improve circulatory foot problems.

David B. Samadi, MD, Urologic Oncology Expert and Robotic Surgeon located at 485 Madison Avenue on the 21st floor, New York, NY – 212-365-5000.  Follow Dr. Samadi at www.samadimd.com,  www.prostatecancer911.com, and www.roboticoncology.com