Take a Look at Your Heart Health Through Your Feet!

Your feet don’t just take you to your heart’s desires, they can tell you a lot about your health too.

“Your feet can give you an inside look to your heart health,” says Triad Foot & Ankle Center podiatrist Norman Regal.  “Your feet can reveal if you’re suffering from a serious health condition which affects your arteries, called Peripheral Arterial Disease.”

Peripheral Arterial Disease, otherwise known as PAD, is a condition that arises when arteries become narrowed by plaque, which often displays no symptoms until there is significant blockage. Looking at your feet is one way to help determine if you’re suffering from this condition.

Typical symptoms of PAD include:

• Pain in the legs when walking or at rest
• Foot or toe wounds that won’t heal or that heal very slowly

• Gangrene
• A marked decrease in the temperature of your lower leg or foot particularly compared to the other leg or to the rest of your body
• Hairless feet

A podiatrist can administer a simple, non-invasive test called an ankle-brachial index, which compares the blood pressure in your ankles to the pressure in your arms.

“The earlier you can detect and treat this condition, the better,” says Dr. Regal. “Failure to treat PAD can result in serious blockages that could create a loss of circulation to your limbs as well as gangrene.”

To request an appointment with one of our podiatrists, click here.

Disclaimer: The information and other content provided in our blogs, videos, or in any other content or linked materials are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. For a full disclaimer, please click here.