If you’ve experienced foot problems lately, it could be due to your water intake. A hydrated body is a healthy body, and lack of water causes problems literally from head to toe. Here, learn about the connection between dehydration and foot pain to improve your care efforts.

What Should I Know About Foot Problems & Dehydration?

The Link & Symptoms of Dehydration

When the body does not receive enough water, it causes joint problems. Joints, including those in the feet, require water to keep their discs hydrated. Made of cartilage, discs act as cushions between the joints to keep them from rubbing together and causing pain. Prolonged dehydration reduces blood volume to joint cartilage and causes the discs to wear down.

Dehydration-related foot pain can also occur because of gout or when uric acid crystals form in the body. High acid levels occur because the kidneys are not eliminating the blood waste product efficiently, or the body produces too much of it due to problems such as high diuretic use. The crystals feature shards that cause inflammation, pain, and swelling around foot joints.

How Hydration Eases Foot Problems

Drinking enough water every day combats a variety of health issues, including chronic foot problems. If you have gout or arthritis-related foot pain, drinking water helps the kidneys get rid of uric acid quickly. Water also dilutes the acid when it enters the bloodstream to keep deposits from forming at the joints, and contributes to weight management by curbing hunger. Extra weight puts pressure on the joints, including foot joints, to increase pain.

Recommended Daily Water Intake & Tips for Staying Hydrated

Most people benefit from drinking two liters of water per day, or about one gallon. To relieve foot pain and other dehydration-related symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, and dizziness, ensure you urinate at least every two to four hours. Drink one or more glasses of water upon arising to alleviate sleep-related dehydration and help yourself wake up. Keep a reusable water bottle with you during the day for consistent sipping.

Other hydration tips include consuming plenty of water-heavy fruits and vegetables, including watermelon, cucumbers, and cantaloupe. All fruits and vegetables have at least some water in them. It also helps to check your urine--if it is dark yellow or amber instead of almost clear, drink more water.

For persistent foot problems, contact Choice Podiatry Associates. The podiatry center features three convenient locations in Monfort Heights South, Kenwood, and Wyoming Counties in Ohio, offering diabetic foot care, foot surgery, and plantar fasciitis treatment. Call (513) 574-2424 to make an appointment, or learn more about solutions for foot problems online.