The Great American Smokeout: How Smoking Affects Your Feet
The American Cancer Society promoted the Great American Smokeout on November 16 by challenging smokers to quit for 24 hours. Today’s post by Chad Knight, DPM at Knight Foot & Ankle in Edmond and Jones, OK, is all about smoking-related foot conditions. Be sure to share this with friends or loved ones who smoke, even occasionally.
Smoking can have a substantial effect on your feet. The nicotine found in tobacco products can cause blood vessels to tighten, leading to big issues for some smokers’ feet. Most people are familiar with the effects smoking can have on your lungs, kidneys, and heart. But many people don’t realize that smoking can cause issues with other parts of your body, including your legs and feet.
The 4 Foot Conditions Related to Smoking
Numerous conditions of the legs and feet can be caused by smoking.
1. Buerger’s Disease: This condition is an inflammatory disease that causes blood clots to form in blood vessels. The clots can stop blood flow to your extremities, such as toes and fingers, causing tissue damage, pain, or even gangrene, which requires amputation in some more serious cases.
Some common symptoms of Buerger’s disease include:
Cold feet or hands.
Pale, red, or bluish toes and fingers.
Small painful sores on the toes or fingers.
Tingling or pain in the legs, feet, and hands.
2. Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD): This is what most people think of when they hear the term “smoker’s feet.” It occurs when plaque clogs your arteries and restricts blood flow to your extremities. This causes limited mobility due to painful feet or legs and elevates your chances of having a heart attack or stroke.
Symptoms of PAD include:
Pain in the feet or legs.
Heaviness or fatigue in the feet or legs.
Persistent coldness or color changes in the legs or feet.
Poor hair and nail growth.
Open wounds or sores on feet, legs, and toes that heal slowly.
3. Raynaud’s Syndrome: With this condition, the blood flow to the toes, fingers, or nose is restricted. Raynaud’s is usually associated with triggers, most commonly cold temperatures. Because smoking affects blood flow, it’s a major risk factor.
Raynaud’s Symptoms include:
Swelling, discomfort, or redness when circulation recovers.
Numb, pale, cold toes or fingers when exposed to cold temperatures.
Skin ulcers or tissue death in severe cases.
4. Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis develops when the bones break down faster than they regrow. Smoking has been revealed to reduce bone growth, which can cause osteoporosis and an elevated risk of fracturing or breaking bones.
The most common Osteoporosis symptoms include:
Weakened grip strength.
Receding gums.
Increase in breaks or fractures from falls.
Brittle fingernails.
Stooped posture.
All these conditions and more can be worsened or caused by heavy smoking. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, contact Chad Knight, DPM at Knight Foot & Ankle in Edmond and Jones, OK, to schedule a visit. You can call us at (405) 513-0385 or click here to schedule your visit online.
REMINDER: We have officially moved our Edmond office to 3125 N Sooner Road, Suite 100, Edmond, OK 73034. We now have two locations to serve you – our new Edmond office and our Jones location at 12950 East Britton Road, Suite 105.
