Pain, itching and swelling are discomforts that can affect the feet. The skin is the most visibly vulnerable organ in the human body, and the feet can be considered the most put upon appendages. The combination of these two factors makes for a plethora of possible podiatric problems.
Pressure Injuries
Blisters, corns and calluses result from friction and pressure on the skin of the foot, according to DermNet NZ. Ill-fitting shoes can rub against the skin, breaking connective tissue fibers below the epidermis and allowing pockets of fluid to form that are commonly known as blisters.
When the skin is repeatedly irritated in a particular area, it thickens. This is a protective measure resulting from the skin trying to prevent further blistering. Unfortunately it results in the formation of corns and calluses. Corns, or helomas, are inflamed, painful regions of thickened skin, while calluses, or tylomas, are painless areas of hardened skin.
Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Diabetes can cause nerve damage that destroys a person's ability to feel pain in their feet. While "feeling no pain" may sound attractive, in truth pain serves a vital purpose in warning people that damage is being inflicted upon their body. When a diabetic loses sensation due to neuropathy, also known as nerve damage, cuts or blisters that form on the feet may go unnoticed and leave openings in the skin through which infectious agents can pass, according to the American Diabetes Association. A blister can turn into an infection of the foot that can grow and cause major health complications. Gangrene and even amputation have occurred in cases of infection due to diabetic neuropathy.
Infectious Lesions
The foot is not immune to the effects of systemic viral and bacterial infections. Sometimes infections manifest as pustules or rashes on the feet. DermNet NZ describes hand, foot and mouth disease as an enterovirus infection that commonly affects children in the summertime. It causes small, flat blisters on the hands and feet.
Fungal infections can thrive in the moist environment of an athletic shoe. Tinea pedis affects the foot, causing dry, scaly skin and clusters of blisters.
Vascular Disorders
When the blood vessels are exposed to cold, they can shut down and become inflamed, a condition known as vasculitis. Chilblains are tender, itchy, discolored bumps that can form on the feet and hands as a reaction to cold. Those predisposed to poor peripheral circulation are more prone to develop chilblains.
