My Feet Have Neuropathy - What Is It?

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30% of the population suffers from idiopathic neuropathy, which is neuropathy from an unknown cause. 

But what is neuropathy? 

Neuropathy is a disorder of the nerves. Neuropathy presents as symptoms in the hands, more often the feet, such as tingling, numbness, burning, the feeling of bugs crawling on the skin, and in the worst cases, shooting pains. 

Although 30% of neuropathy is from an unknown cause, another 30% is from a known cause, Diabetes. A few other causes are chronic alcoholism, shingles, medications, AIDS, deficiencies in vitamins, cancer drugs, toxins, and certain diseases/disorders.

Why does my diabetes cause neuropathy?

 
Patients with diabetes whose glucose/sugar has been out of control for longstanding periods of time develop neuropathy. Simply put, the disease affects your nerves when you do not take control of your sugar levels. Usually the symptoms start in the fingers as numbness first. Eventually the symptoms are felt in the toes and feet. 

Neuropathy is reversible up to a certain point, but irreversible once the glucose has been uncontrolled for too long. Many diabetic patients complain of no feeling on the bottom of both of their feet! This is when trouble can occur, if you can't feel it, you don't know it! In other words, a diabetic patient with neuropathy (or any patient with neuropathy) may step on something and never realize the skin is broken on the bottom of the foot. Bacteria may contaminate this opening, leading to an ulceration and infection. It's at this point that you may hear of diabetic patients with ulcerations, infections, and in the worst cases, amputations!

How is neuropathy treated?

 
There are many treatments for neuropathy that are dependant on each individual case. These include vitamin supplements, prescription medications, diet and glucose/sugar control, and various non-invasive therapies. The most important treatment is prevention, in the case of diabetes. 

Although uncontrollable in some cases, neuropathy is preventable and controllable in diabetes. Diet and sugar maintenance are paramount in effectively minimizing the effect of neuropathy. But remember, chronic long-term uncontrolled sugar = irreversible neuropathy. When this neuropathy is associated with pain, the problem is magnified.

Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency is a well known cause of peripheral neuropathy. A neuropathy supplement can help improve the symptoms.

Facts About Calcium

Image via WikipediaA very important mineral that is absolutely needed is calcium. Patients commonly think that calcium is only needed to promote strong healthy bones and teeth, but it is also good to know that it also plays a vital role in multiple body systems.

Calcium is needed for muscle contractions, it help carry substances between the cell wall, it transferring signals from one neuron to another and is also vital in maintaining the ph balance of blood.

Calcium levels are constantly regulated by the body, The bones are used to store calcium. When needed, especially when the blood becomes acidic, calcium is slowly released from the bone and reabsorbed again if there is excess calcium.

Calcium supplements are needed to prevent and treat any calcium deficiency. A typical 20 year old adult needs about 1000mg of calcium a day and teenagers who are at a growth spur needs about 1200 mg a day. Medical experts recommend that supplements are taken in with food and is also advised to spread the does taking half the dose in the morning and the other half in the evening, this is to improve calcium absorption.

Generally, vitamin D is added to calcium supplements. Vitamin D is important since this vitamin is converted into a hormone that synthesizes the production of intestinal proteins, these intestinal protein on the other hand, help in the absorption of calcium in the gut.

There are a lot of food stuffs rich is calcium. Milk is good source of calcium and is easily absorbed. The problem with milk is that a lot of individuals are lactose intolerant.

Soya Milk is a vegetable derived milk rich in protein, calcium is added to meet the required levels.

Another excellent source of calcium is coral calcium. This may be in tablet or powder form and this calcium supplement really comes from fossilized corals. Coral calcium is made of calcium carbonate and trace minerals.

Learn the Basics of Gout

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Gout is a type of arthritis that can lead to sudden attacks of stiffness, joint swelling, and burning sensation on the affected joint. The big toe is most commonly affected but any joint in the body can develop gout. Repeated attacks of gout can occur and these can happen anytime of the day. If not treated early, these repeated gout attacks can cause damage to the joints and the surrounding tissues.

Gout is caused by high levels of blood uric acid. Having increased levels of uric acid does not necessarily mean the development of gout, since there are a lot of patients who never develop gout even with high levels of uric acid. Unfortunately, some patients with elevated blood uric acid levels form urate crystals along the joint. These crystal formations are the reason for the pain and swelling.

People who are overweight and those who are heavy drinkers of beer or alcohol have a greater risk of developing gout. Eating too much of meat and fish, particularly the internal organs like the liver and kidneys, can increase blood uric acid since these foods are high in purines. When the body breaks down purines, it forms uric acid. If more purine rich foods are consumed, then this leads to higher levels of uric acid.

Generally, the usual sign of gout is pain, swelling, redness, and tenderness to touch of the big toe that occurs during nighttime. This can last for weeks or months before the pain lessens. Months or years may pass before another gout attack happens.

To ease the pain of gout, it is helpful to rest the affected joint. Pain and swelling can be controlled by taking pain relievers or other anti inflammatory medications.

The best way to control gout pain is to prevent it from occurring. Dietary modifications such as limiting meat and fish intake can naturally reduce uric acid levels. Drinking a lot of fluids and taking in medications that lower uric acid greatly reduce the symptoms. A natural gout supplement can be used to assist with the symptoms of gout. This is a good alternative and does not cause any abdominal problems unlike pain killers.

Got Gout? Avoid These Common Foods

Image via WikipediaPeople should be aware that there are a lot of factors that contribute to gout attacks. These include certain medical conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol in the blood, and arteriosclerosis or narrowing of arteries.

Medications like diuretics and even low dose aspirin can trigger gout attacks because these increase levels of uric acid. The risk also increases if other family members have gout symptoms. Males are also more prone to have it than females.

Probably the most controllable of these risk factors is the diet. Unknowingly, there are certain foods that can increase the risk of gout. These include high protein and high purine foods. These cause increased levels of uric acid in the body which can form into crystals in the joints. These crystals cause inflammation and pain, commonly in the big toe.

Seafood such as scallops, mackerel, anchovies, herring, sardines, and salmon are some of those with the highest purine content. Shrimp and crab should also be avoided.

Organ meats such as liver, kidneys, brains, heart, and beef tongue are high in purines. These should be limited or avoided especially during attacks of gout.

Similarly, meats like beef, pork, and lamb should be limited. Game meats like pheasant, squirrel, grouse, and deer meat have fairly high purine levels. Limit the serving size of meats to two to three ounces per day. Poultry such as turkey and chicken are considered as having moderately high amounts so these can be consumed in moderation.

Processed meat such as hot dogs, bacon, lunch meats, sausages, bologna, salami, and pepperoni can also cause gout when consumed in excessive amounts.

Vegetables that are considered to be moderately high in purines include peas, lentils, asparagus, mushrooms, and cauliflower. These vegetables should be taken in moderation so as not to increase the gout risk.

Cherries have been shown to possess anti inflammatory properties. In a study, a cup of cherries appeared to prevent future flare ups of gout. Extract of cherries or gout supplement that contains wild cherry can also be taken along with the usual medications for gout to prevent attacks.

Things You Need to Know About Ankle Arthritis

Image via WikipediaArthritis is the swelling and inflammation of the joints. It comes from the Greek work "arthro" meaning joint and "itis" which means inflammation.

Ankle arthritis is a condition where the ankle joint has been worn out due to the natural wear and tear process and can cause moderate to severe heel pain. Our bones are lined with cartilages inside the joints, very similar to the white stuff seen on a chicken drum stick. If you will notice, this cartilage is very smooth and slippery, very important in reducing any friction during articulation.

Now if your ankle joint develops arthritis, the cartilage bone loses its smooth and slippery qualities. This causes severe pain and can lead to secondary complications in the joint called synovitis. This also occurs when the soft tissues within the joints get inflamed.

Common conditions that can lead to ankle arthritis:

    * Previous injury to the ankle like frequent sprains can damage the cartilages.

    * Being obese can put a lot of stress to the ankle. These patients also accelerate the extent of damage to the joints.

    * Infections. Infection to the joints can eat away the smooth surface of the cartilages.

    * Genetics

There are several treatments for ankle arthritis. Resting is the simplest yet effective way  to manage ankle pain due to arthritis. Taking pain killers help but are not recommended since you are masking the pain therefore can lead to further injury. Ankle Distraction is a technique where the ankle joint is literally pulled apart for several weeks. This promotes healing of the damaged cartilage and has a very good success rate in reducing pain.

Also, our joints begin to stiffen as we age. During this time, Omega-3 fatty acids also help support healthy joints, joint flexibility and range of motion.Glucosamine is a natural compound that is found in healthy cartilage. It has been used in the complementary therapies in osteoarthritis, available joint smoother supplements.

How to Identify Morton's Neuroma and How to Treat It

Image via WikipediaMorton's neuroma is an inflammation of the nerve fibers between the balls of the foot. Though a neuroma can occur anywhere in the foot, this type is usually found between the third and fourth toes.

Morton's neuroma, also called intermetatarsal neuroma, is caused by constant pressure to the nerves between the toes of the foot. This irritates the nerves causing inflammation and swelling.

Morton's neuroma symptoms start with numbness, tingling or burning sensation of the foot. In moderate cases, foot pain is characterized by shooting pain underneath the foot. In advanced cases, pain can be so severe and some patients may not be able to walk for many hours or days.

Non-surgical treatment involves applying ice packs, use of foot padding, wearing orthotic devices, behavioral modifications, taking pain relievers and directly injecting steroids on the affected area. These treatments are aimed in reducing pain and swelling.

Your podiatrist will likely suggest surgery if the above management do not provide pain relief. A surgical procedure that freezes the neuroma is an effective treatment. This is called cryosurgery of neuromas. The procedure requires only a small incision, then a probe is inserted and placed where the neuroma is located, this takes less than 20 minutes. Ultrasound is used to guide the metal probe real time. Then the neuroma is cooled down to -70 Fahrenheit. This is a relatively easy procedure in expert hands that require no stitching.

Family Foot and Leg Center is a medical center specializing in healing health issues with lower leg and ankle.  Contact Details:
Clinical Director: Kevin Lam DPM
Company Name: Family Foot & Leg Center, P.A.
Company Address: 661 Goodlette Road, Suite 101
                              12250 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 101
                               Naples, FL
Work Phone: 239 430 3668
Web Address: www.FamilyFootandLegCenter.com