Taking care of your feet is critical to your overall health. Being able to stay active and mobile at all times will allow you to have the best quality of life possible. If you have a problem with your feet, you will need to visit a podiatrist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of feet issues. Knowing the various types of podiatry services may be helpful if you're in one of these situations:

Type #1: Diabetic foot care

Diabetes is a medical condition that should be monitored and treated appropriately. Diabetics often experience foot problems that involve diabetic neuropathy, and listed below are some of the common symptoms associated with this condition:

1.  Numbness in the foot or toes that is consistent.

2.  Swelling of the feet that make it impossible to wear shoes.

3.   Weakness in the foot muscles that can make walking more difficult.

4.   Burning in the feet that last for long periods of time.

Type #2: Heel pain

Living with pain in the heels can make it challenging to walk and get where you need to go. There are a variety of conditions that can cause heel paint to occur and some of these are listed below:

1.  Heel spurs—Someone with this condition has a calcium growth on the bottom of the bone in the heel that comes from various activities, such a standing for long periods of time or running on hard surfaces. Some of the symptoms of this condition include strained foot muscles and ligaments and painful heels.

2.  Heel fissures—Having dry and scaly skin on the bottom of the feet can lead to this condition which can be a painful one. Some prevention methods include keeping the heels moisturized with petroleum jelly especially during the winter months.

Type #3: Toenail fungus

A common problem many people deal with is toenail fungus, and it may become severe if left untreated. Older adults deal with this issue more frequently because of the circulation to the toenail decreasing, which is an important component in warding off this infection.

Be sure to visit a podiatrist to have this issue treated to avoid it becoming worse over time. Additionally, it's important to wear open-toed shoes to allow the toenails to get fresh air and not be enclosed, which can worsen this condition.

Keeping your feet and toenails in good condition will allow you to have a higher quality of life and avoid dealing with painful situations. Be sure to call a podiatrist in your area, like Aiken Maurice W, DPM PA, if you are faced with any foot issues that must be diagnosed and treated.