Older people often come across different kinds of problems in their foot, which not only hampers their daily activities but these issues only aggravate over time. Pain in the foot and foot disorders are usually common concerns for older people. Foot pain makes it extremely hard for them to walk and carry out other necessary functions. It can cause interference in carrying out activities like climbing up and down the stairs or to get up from the chair. People who are aged can even have problems in holding on to their balance, which leads to an increase in their chances of falling.
Factors That Lead To Foot Problems
As people get older, their feet manage to spread and they lose the fat that provides cushion to the bottom of their feet. If there is a need to carry extra weight, then the ligaments and bones bear extra pressure.
Several risk factors lead to foot problems, which we will discuss in detail but one of the major reasons behind foot problems happen to be wearing shoes that tend to get fit very poorly. Plus, the skin of one’s feet also happens to get drier with an increase in age, which give rise to the easy occurrence of infections.
Let us take a look into some of the major risk factors for different kinds of foot problems in older people:
Arthritis Foot Problem:
Arthritis is one major risk factor for the development of foot problems among older people. It gives rise to Bunions, which is a deformity of the foot that aged people very frequently suffer from.
Poorly Fitted Shoes and Socks:
If people have been wearing shoes that do not fit them properly, for a length of time, then that can lead to various foot problems in old age. The friction from poorly fitted shoes and socks or toes getting rubbed against one another can give rise to corns. Older people can even suffer from the problem of calluses, which get developed either on the ball of the foot pain.
Neuropathy:
This is one risk factor, wherein older people can have a loss of sensation in the feet and ankles.
Typical Occupations:
There are certain occupations, which require people to stand for a long period. These turn out to be major risk factors for developing foot problems later on in their lives.
Overweight:
Obesity happens to be a major risk factor for several diseases among people and the extensive load for the feet can lead to different kinds of foot disorders and deformities.
Injuries:
Injuries suffered on the feet, toes or ankles can have a lasting effect and become major risk factors behind foot problems in the long run as people grow older.
Thus, we have looked into different kinds of risk factors, which play a major role in the occurrence of various foot problems for old-age group people. They include obesity or being overweight, arthritis, neuropathy, shoes and socks that poorly fit into one’s feet etc.
