Pregnancy and Foot Care

Pregnancy is one of the best feeling a woman experience in her life, however there are some changes in body leads to some symptoms like morning sickness, loss of sleep, heartburn, eructation, constipation hemorrhoids, backache, edema on leg etc. Some of these symptoms and conditions are minor and do not require any treatment they can be alleviated with appropriate dietary and lifestyle changes. Commonly ignored problem during pregnancy regarding foot care sometime become very troublesome for mother.
As woman enjoy watching the bump grow week from week, month to month, but sometimes it comes with weight gain and water retention, which leads to the discomfort on her feet. Healthy weight gain during pregnancy can alter a woman's centre of gravity. This causes a new weight-bearing stance and adds pressure on feet and knees and that needs more attention while lifting anything, walking etc.
Common foot problems experienced by pregnant woman are over-pronation or flattening of the arch, and edema. These problems can lead to pain at the heel, arch, or the ball of the foot. Many women may also experience cramps in leg, lower back pain, and varicose veins due to weight gain.
There are many easy steps pregnant woman can adopt to treat her feet complaint
• Drink a lot of water. Swelling increases when dehydrated. • Limit salt intake. Foods high in salt can cause water retention• Eat a well-balanced diet and include foods high in protein, such as beans, cheese, fish, and meat, chicken.• Keep watch on weight. Gaining more weight than recommended in pregnancy can increase swelling on feet.• Try to avoid standing for long periods of time. If you need to stand for prolonged periods, be sure to take a break whenever possible to sit and put your feet up. • Elevate your feet as often as possible if there is swelling on feet.• Sleep on your side, not your back. This relieves pressure on the vena cava, the largest vein that leads to your heart. Otherwise, the pressure slows the blood returning from the lower body.• Wear shoes and socks that are spacious and do not constrict the feet. Avoid high heel shoes
Thus by making few changes foot complaints during pregnancy are alleviated.
Dr.Tabassum Patel
(Homoeopath)
http://moinhealthcare.com