Today's topic
Today on A.Vogel Talks Menopause, I'm going to be talking about four surprising foot problems in the menopause.
So, feet problems in the menopause. Yes, these are actually quite common. And it's amazing how many women get in touch with me, who say they're having issues with their feet, and they are wondering if this is connected to the menopause. And, in most cases, it certainly is.
So, today, I'm going to talk about four of the more common ones that I'm asked about.
1. Burning feet
So, number one is burning feet. You will find this normally tends to happen just as you're about to try and fall asleep. Suddenly, your feet will heat up and it can be so uncomfortable. You might find that you have to throw the duvet off or get up and walk about. This is a really uncomfortable, sleep-interrupting one. There can be a number of causes here.
Now, it's quite interesting because, very often, night sweats will be accompanied by burning feet and, very often, it is due to something as simple as dehydration, so remember the water here for this.
If you find that burning feet is accompanied by joint aches and pains then, very often, it can be a build-up of what's called uric acid in the body. And that can trigger the burning feet, too.
What you can do to help yourself
The best things for burning feet are a vitamin B complex because low vitamin B5 can also be an issue here. So, vitamin B complex, maybe round about the 50-milligram mark, taken with your breakfast.
If you're getting the achy joints as well, then you may find that a couple of cups of nettle tea each day can be very helpful. Taking one of the cups in the early evening, maybe, can help to eliminate the uric acid. But, definitely remember the water first for this one.
2. Sore, achy feet
You might find that suddenly, if you're standing on your feet for a little while, if you're doing a lot of walking, the balls of your feet will start to ache. It can be very, very painful. Again, there can be a number of reasons for this one here.
Our body produces less collagen as we go through the menopause, and collagen works in the cushioning of the skin. Our skin can thin, too. So, if you're getting a reduction of the thickness in the balls of your feet and also the skin on the soles of your feet, then it means that you're basically walking on your foot bones, and this can be very, very uncomfortable. It can also lead to corns and bunions as well which, again, makes everything that bit more uncomfortable.
It can also be due to weight gain. If you find that you're putting on a little bit of extra weight, then that's going to put extra pressure onto the balls of your feet. It can also be due to our posture – as we go through the menopause, our muscle mass can change and our posture can change. And it's really quite interesting because aches and pains in your shoulders and in your back can transfer all the way down to the balls of your feet, too.
What you can do to help yourself
So, what can you do for this one? You could look at our Menopause Support. This is used to help just to very gently raise and balance oestrogen levels so that can have a nice positive effect on the skin and help with cushioning in the feet.
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Remember the water because dehydration may be an issue here.
If it's just the balls of your feet or your heels that are really sore, then you can go and see someone called a podiatrist. They can check your feet to make sure that there hasn't been any damage to the bones and the ankles, then they can maybe tweak things for you, or they can offer you special insoles for your shoes that can help to cushion everything.
If you find that you're getting the joint pain but you're getting aches and pains in your shoulders and your back too, then it may be better to go and see a chiropractor because they can sort what's going on in the shoulders and your back, and that can have a positive effect on the pain in your feet, too.
3. Swollen feet
Number three is swollen feet. This is a really important one to look out for. If you're getting swollen feet and swollen ankles on a regular basis, it could be an indication of high blood pressure, so it's really important to get this one checked out by your doctor first. Maybe just go and ask if you can get your blood pressure checked out.
It can also be dehydration. Again, it's quite interesting that, if we're really dehydrated, our body will store water in the feet and the ankles just to have some extra. So, just make sure, especially if you're getting flushes and sweats and you're also getting the swollen ankles, that you're staying hydrated. So, remember, loads of water for this one.
4. Smelly feet
This is a really interesting one here. If you are wearing or using antiperspirants, especially the 24-hour ones, as your regulation of body temperature can get a bit out of line, your body will try and find other places it can sweat from.
And one of the other main places for your body to sweat from is the feet. So, if you're not sweating under your arms, your body will do that through your feet.
And, if you are wearing artificial leather on your shoes, if you are wearing tights or other man-made fibres in your socks, then your feet are going to sweat. But the sweat is not going to evaporate, and that can then end up as smelly feet.
What you can do to help yourself
So, here, maybe look at trying deodorants rather than antiperspirants. Sometimes, that can have a quick effect.
Or, you can look at our lovely natural foot spray. This is a nice one that can help with smelly feet and, if your feet are getting hot, it's a nice refreshing spray.
And, just make sure that you're wearing as many natural fibres as you can with your socks or your tights because that can have a knock-on effect, too. If your feet are really sweating, then remember that this can dehydrate you, so don't forget the water for this one here as well.
Other foot problems to be aware of
Now, other problems with your feet.
Pins and needles
This is a really important one here. If you are experiencing pins and needles, this can be an indication of diabetes. So, again, this is one that you really need to go and get checked out by your doctor first.
Osteoporosis
The other thing to look out for is, if you already suffer from osteoporosis, where your bones are a lot weaker, then the little bones in the feet may be more prone to fracturing or damage.
So, again, if you're suffering from osteoporosis and you're getting really sore feet, then it may be a good idea to go and see a podiatrist just to get things checked out for you.
So, I hope you found this one interesting. If you've had any foot issues, then we would love to hear about them. And, if any of you have solved this with any of your own tips, then I would love to hear about those, too.
What you said!
We recently ran a poll to find out which foot problem you have found most troublesome during menopause. We've crunched the numbers and here are the results.
Results: Have you experienced any of these foot problems and, if so, which one did you find MOST troublesome?
One foot problem seems to be more common than the others and that's achy, sore feet, with over half (53.5%) of you saying that this is your most troublesome foot problem!
