Eight Percent of Americans Suffer from Foot Issues

How much do you know about the health of your feet? Almost everyone (nearly 8 out of 10 people) have at least one kind of foot problem that is so bad that it affects their daily life. Out of everyone surveyed by the American Podiatric Medical Association, almost half of them said that have had more than one foot problem and one third said that they have had more than three issues on their feet.

People who suffer from foot issues also have an increased chance in having other health problems as well. 65% of people who have weight issues experience regular foot pain. 59% of people who have back problems also have foot pain. 64% of people who suffer from arthritis also have issues with their feet. 52% of people who have discomfort in their knees feel similar discomfort in their feet. Finally, 32% of people who have problems with their circulation also experience regular foot pain.

Some of the most common issues with feet that people experience include fungal infections, ingrown toenails, smelly feet, heel pain, bunions and high heel pain. Other common issues include bone spurs, stress fractures, tendinitis, hammertoes and nerve issues like pinched nerves.

Almost 51% of the people surveyed about the health of their feet said that their foot problems are so uncomfortable that they actually affect their mobility. They find it difficult to walk and stand. They also find it hard to sleep, play, work, exercise or even travel. While everyone agreed that something had to be done about their foot ailments, only 20% of people actually thought about taking care of their feet to restore their health.

In many cases, small issues become big problems and then people usually end up seeing their doctor. Surprising, no one really thinks about seeing a foot specialist for these issues even when they know a podiatrist will have more knowledge than their general physician. Most people try to avoid going to the doctor altogether by diagnosing their condition online and using products they can buy from their pharmacy. If you can diagnose your problem correctly, this may save you time and money.

One company has even created a new product that uses an ultraviolet light to eliminate disease causing microbes without damaging your shoes. It is specifically designed to help with fungal infections and smelly feet. The device works as a sanitizer. If you put it in your shoes, it is said to kill almost 99.9% of the disease-causing bacteria, viruses and fungus that live inside your shoes. This interesting gadget was designed with people who have foot problems in mind and is the most ideal option for those who suffer regularly from fungal infections, like athlete’s foot, warts, foot odor and ulcers caused by diabetes. One of the main reasons that foot infections are recurring is because people treat their feet, but not their shoes. The cause of their infections actually lives inside of their shoes and you infect yourself whenever you put your shoes back on. But often it is hard to clean shoes properly and some shoes cannot be sent through the washing machine.

Podiatrists used to tell their patients to throw away their old footwear to prevent reinfection. But by using UV light to sanitize your footwear, there is no need to throw out all of your shoes when you get an infection.