It is common knowledge that smoking can be incredibly harmful to your lungs. However, many smokers are unaware that tobacco use affects more than just their lungs. Smoking can affect your feet as well, even if you are not aware of it. Yes — smoking can affect blood circulation and destroy tissues in the lower extremities. In fact, podiatrists treat tens of thousands of smokers each year for a number of foot and ankle problems.
Common Foot Injuries and Conditions Linked to Smoking
Impaired circulation is one of the most serious consequences of smoking. Tobacco use constricts arteries, veins, and capillaries, making it more difficult for your heart to pump blood throughout your body. Because the hands and feet are the furthest away from the heart, they do not receive as much circulation as other parts of your body, making the healing process challenging. Over time, smoking can dramatically impair the ability to absorb oxygen not only in the lungs but throughout the body.
Tobacco users are more likely to develop medical issues such as:
Peripheral arterial disease
If you experience prolonged leg pain or itchy blisters on your feet that will not go away, you may have peripheral artery disease, also known as peripheral vascular disease. Tobacco usage induces plaque buildup in the arteries, stiffening the artery walls and constricting the blood vessels. As blood vessels constrict, blood circulation in the tiny capillaries of the lower limbs becomes incredibly difficult, depriving your limbs of oxygen and nutrients. The fact is that smokers are four times as likely than non-smokers to develop peripheral artery disease.
Osteoporosis
Smoking inhibits the development of healthy bone tissue, resulting in osteoporosis or the gradual deterioration of bones. When your skeleton cannot produce new bone tissue, it becomes brittle and weak, increasing the risk of fractures. Because your feet bear the brunt of your weight, the risk of a broken bone in your feet and ankles grows with each passing day. (MATTHEW – LINK TO THE HOW WEIGHT AFFECTS YOUR FEET ARTICLE)
Raynaud’s syndrome
Raynaud’s syndrome (also known as Raynaud’s phenomenon) is a painful condition caused by blood vessel spasms in the lower extremities. Patients suffering from this condition may notice pale feet with white or blue toes, as well as feet that are cold or numb. Cigarette smoking can both cause and exacerbate the symptoms of Raynaud’s syndrome.
Buerger’s disease
Buerger’s disease (also known as thromboangiitis obliterans) is characterized by decreased blood flow to the lower extremities as a result of blood vessel wall swelling. Almost everyone suffering from Buerger’s disease is or has been a smoker, with people who smoke a pack a day or more being at the highest risk. If left untreated, Buerger’s disease can result in severe leg pain, blood clots, soft tissue injuries, and even amputation due to gangrene.
Diabetes and Smoking
The problems associated with smoking and your feet are exacerbated if you have a condition such as diabetes that already impacts your lower limb function. Damage to your nervous system from diabetic foot problems makes you more likely to overlook injuries to your lower extremities.
Smoking increases the risk of developing foot sores and fractures, but if you cannot feel them due to diabetes, you could face serious complications. Diabetes and smoking both restrict circulation, which reduces your body’s capacity to heal itself, worsening the problem.
Best Practices for Your Feet If You Are a Smoker
Given the multitude of health issues that cigarette smokers encounter, kicking the habit is the best way to avoid foot problems and other severe complications. Giving up smoking can reverse potentially life-threatening diseases and save you from permanent damage.
In addition to giving up smoking, you and your podiatrist can prevent foot problems by doing the following:
- Taking care of skin and nail problems. Your podiatrist can treat foot ulcers, cut your toenails, and advise you on the best ways to take care of your feet.
- Designing orthotics. To improve your mobility, your podiatrist may adjust your footwear, recommend better options, or design custom orthotics.
- Scheduling surgery. Smokers have a higher risk of blood clots, complications in wound healing, and postoperative infection rates, making surgery more difficult. That said, if standard treatments for broken bones or complications with the blood circulatory system fail, surgery may be the only alternative left.
Smoking and your feet may not appear to go together, yet one has a detrimental effect on the other. However, you do not have to let an old habit affect your feet or ankles.
Visit the FootDocStore.com blog for more information on how to keep your feet and ankles healthy.