Feet are often not a pretty sight: fungi growing under cracked toenails, bony lumps along the side of the foot, and cracked and bloody heels. There is a reason I never wear sandals during the summer!
But according to the recent article on the AARP website, “10 Things Your Toes Could Say About Your Health” by Beth Howard and Aaron Kassraie, there is much you can learn from your toes and toenails.
“Our feet and toes are also the body parts that are furthest from the brain and heart, so underlying health issues generally manifest themselves in feet and toes first,” says Stephanie Wu, dean of the Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago, Illinois.
For that reason, Dr. Maria Tomas, a geriatrician who once practiced in the Gorge, said that with any new patient, the feet were the first thing she always checked.
If you’ve observed any changes in your toes or toenails, keep an eye out for these 10 signs that could indicate an underlying health condition. (Search for the article on the AARP website for more information and illustrations.)
1. Concave toenails if they appear out of the blue - Anemia
2. Tingling, burning or numbness in toes. - Diabetes
3. Dark vertical bands on the toenail or dark spots under the nail. - Melanoma
4. “Half-and-half” or washed-out nails. - Kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, or congestive heart failure.
5. Painful, inflamed toe joints - Arthritis
6. Clubbed toes - Lung disease
7. Cold or blue toes. - Heart disease
8. Discolored toenails. - Type 2 diabetes, secondary fungal infection, underlying skin cancer, or subungual hematoma.
9. Thick toenails. - Previous trauma, fungal infection
10. Fungus on toes – Fungal infection, athlete’s foot.
My point in listing these health signs and possible causes is not to add another health concern to worry about, we certainly have enough!, but to encourage you to regularly check for any changes, particularly if you are living with diabetes, a weakened immune system, or autoimmune conditions. Most toe issues are benign, but if you notice any changes, mention them to your primary care provider.
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Brain Tease: This may be too easy for some of you, but next week I promise it will be more challenging.
“What would your father’s only sister’s sister-in-law be to you?”
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For last week’s “Remember When” question, Ellen Black, Bruce Johnson, and Marny Weting thought the answer was a Chia Pet, which I admit is a much more attractive gift than the answer I was looking for: a Pet Rock. I received correct answers from Stephen Woolpert, Doug Nelson, Donna Mollet, Dave Lutgens, Judy Kiser, Eva Summers, Tom Schaefer, and Becky Podvent, who is this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket.
Last week, while trying to sew patches on my old pair of jeans using my grandmother’s Singer treadle sewing machine, I missed Jess and Kim Birge, Nancy Higgins, Anna O’Donnell, and Patti Jo McCarthy.
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This action-adventure Spanish Western television series, produced by Walt Disney Productions, told the story of the mild-mannered intellectual Don Diego Vega whose secret identity was a dashing masked crusader dressed all in black who defends the powerless. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of this television series that was set in Los Angeles of 1820, and was broadcast from October 1957 through July 1959 on ABC? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-980-4645, or send it with the Spanish translation of “fox”.
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Well, it’s been another week, forgetting the day of the week if it wasn’t for my pill box. Until we meet again, most everything will work out; it’s what doesn’t that can ruin a fine day.
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“Throw off your worries when you throw off your clothes at night.” A Napoleon Bonepart quote shared by Judge Joe Debulskis in the Sherman County Citizen-Reporter, which you can find online.
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September 23rd was the last senior community meal at the Mt. Hood meal site. Dotty Nelson is retiring after so many great years, and we wish her the very best!
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Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon.
Hood River County: Hood River Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060) - Monday through Friday.
Klickitat County: Goldendale Senior Center - Tuesdays and Thursdays; White Salmon Pioneer Center - Mondays and Wednesdays. Lyle Lyons Community Center – Tuesdays. For more information, call (509-773-3757) in Goldendale or (509-493-3068) in White Salmon.
Sherman County: Sherman County Senior and Community Center (541-565-3191) - Monday through Friday.
Skamania County: Rock Creek Center in Stevenson - Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. In Skamania County, call Senior Services (509-427-3990).
Wasco County: The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333) - Monday through Friday; Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) - Wednesdays; Dufur (541) 298-4354 – Wednesdays.
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