Preparing Yourself For A Long Hospital Stay

Welcome to my site about tactics you can use to cope with hospitalization. I am Edward Collins. I created this site after a long hospitalization left me feeling uncomfortable and dying to go home. I was ill-prepared for the lengthy stay at that facility. Despite my nurses and doctors’ best efforts, I felt lonely, bored and somewhat isolated during my stay. On this site, I will help you prepare for hospitalization well before you need your next medical procedure. Please come by my site daily to learn the information you need to know. Thank you for visiting my website about preparing for hospitalization.

Foot Symptoms You Shouldn't Ignore

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Taking care of your feet is something you do every day. Overuse of your feet due to prolonged standing or exercise can lead to changes in your feet and legs. Maybe you know the reason for these changes but sometimes symptoms present themselves without an explanation. Paying close attention to your feet is important because it could be an indication of an underlying medical issue. Here are some foot symptoms that you should never ignore.

Cold Feet

Everyone gets cold feet from time to time. If you notice that your feet and toes are exceptionally cold—especially in warm temperatures, you should visit your doctor. This could be a sign of poor circulation brought on by various types of medical conditions. The most common is a circulatory problem brought on by hypertension or heart disease. Hyperthyroidism, diabetes and anemia could also be underlying culprits. After a foot exam, your doctor may recommend blood work to confirm a diagnosis.

Heel Pain

Pain in the heel or the back of the foot can be debilitating, making common tasks such as walking difficult. A visit to the podiatrist will bring about several questions from the doctor including the type of shoes you've been wearing and recent physical activities. In some cases of extreme pain, a hairline fracture could be the cause. Your doctor may suggest elevating the foot and minimizing pressure to allow the fracture to heal properly.

Toenail Changes

Your toenails can tell you a lot about your overall health. If you've been noticing changes such as discoloration it could be a type of fungal infection. This should be addressed and treated because infection can lead to loss of the entire toenail. An ingrown toenail can be painful and lead to a localized infection. In most cases a podiatrist can remove the ingrown toenail and trim the nail back to prevent the problem from reoccurring.

Skin Changes

The skin on your feet changes much like the rest of the areas on your body. Skin changes can be an indication of something else going on with your health. Excessive itchy and dry skin can be a sign of a thyroid problem or low potassium levels. If you have sores on your foot that don't heal properly or grow larger, you may have diabetes. Uncontrolled blood glucose levels can cause sores to not heal properly. Sores that don't heal as well as discolorations in the skin anywhere on the foot should also be addressed by your medical doctor. Skin changes could be a sign of basal cell carcinoma or a more deadly type of cancer—melanoma. Surgical removal of the cancer cells may be recommended in addition to further treatment to contain the cancer cells.

Proper foot health is important for leading a productive and satisfying lifestyle. Regular checkups at a place like East Village Foot Center PC are the best way to stay on top of your foot health and check for potential health risks.

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17 December 2014