Your blood pressure is an important measurement of your health, and when it becomes too high or too low, it can cause problems for your whole body. Blood pressure issues can also cause problems for specific areas of your body, like your feet. In general, it’s much better to have low blood pressure than high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension. In today’s blog, we examine some of the foot issues that can develop as a result of unresolved hypertension.
How High Blood Pressure Affects Your Feet
Uncontrolled blood pressure can damage your blood vessels, and considering these vessels work to bring oxygenated blood to your feet, which happen to be the furthest part of your body from your heart, you can see how this could be problematic. Elevated blood pressure tends to be caused by plaque buildup in the blood vessels, which can also lead to decreased circulation in your legs and feet. Blood vessel damage and plaque buildup can contribute to a number of foot issues, including:
- Leg, calf and foot cramps
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Color changes in the foot
- Swelling
- Cold feet or temperature changes in your feet
- Sores
- Wounds that are slow to heal
- Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
Some of these symptoms may seem minor, but they tend to get worse unless they are specifically treated, so don’t ignore them. Moreover, the problem can be difficult to treat, because many people focus on the symptoms in their foot instead of the underlying issue, which is their elevated blood pressure. The good news is that there are a number of simple ways to work to lower your blood pressure and in turn improve the health of your feet. Some ways to help reduce your blood pressure include losing weight, exercising regularly, improving your diet and cutting back on your intake of alcohol, caffeine and sodium. Working to reduce stress in your life has also been show to help lower your blood pressure.
