Numb, Burning Foot with Intense Pain: Cause and Solution
Find out what might be causing the debilitating burning in your feet.
I fell in love with my husband on the dance floor. Yet, when I was diagnosed with type II diabetes at age 45, I disregarded the doctor’s advice and went on with my life like normal.
Since there wasn’t any pain associated with diabetes, I continued dancing with my husband, working and partaking in all day-to-day activities that for all intents and purposes created my diabetes.
It wasn’t until about 10 years later that my diabetes started to cause me pain. I can remember the night vividly:
I began feeling a sharp, piercing pain in my feet. This pain lasted the entire night and didn’t let up until later the next day.
Shortly thereafter, the excruciating pain became so persistent that I was forced to cut back on my work hours, forgo walks with my family and even give up dancing altogether. Just standing became unbearable due to the chronic pain.
Burning Feet
It felt as if someone was holding a blowtorch to my feet. The pain caused so many problems in my life, and the depression led to me shutting down and becoming a virtual hermit.
Diabetic neuropathy can cause “burning” and numb feet.
In 2007, I was diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy is a nerve disorder resulting in irregular sensations that affect up to 70 percent of the 26 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes.
Diabetic neuropathy produces a range of conditions from pain so excruciating that sufferers can’t sleep with their feet under the bed sheets, to numbness so extreme that stepping on glass shards won’t be realized for weeks or even months.
Diabetic neuropathy made me completely dependent on my husband for all household chores.
Doctors would ask me to describe my pain level as a number from 1-10, but for me it was the distance between the earth and the moon.
I considered everything to alleviate the pain from higher doses of pain medication to a nerve-blocking spinal injection, but my endocrinologist questioned the success rate and risks.
He warned me that I would suffer from intense pain until the nerves in my feet died, which would eventually increase my risk of amputation.
I suffered for two years until my doctor put me on Metanx, a medical food pill that contains the active forms of folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. I took the pill continuously for a few months but couldn’t tell if it was working … until one day I realized that I had gone days without remembering to take my pain medications!
Deborah Grona dancing with her husband
The end of burning feet.
Diabetic neuropathy changed my life, but Metanx helped to change it back.
Metanx is the only thing I can attribute to being pain-free, and I think it will play a huge part in helping those with diabetic neuropathy in the future.
I thought the life I once knew was gone indefinitely, but I’ve come out of the fog of pain and rejoined the world. And, most of all, I can dance with my husband again.
Top image: Shutterstock/Denis Val
Can Beets Make Stools Almost Black?
Black stools can mean a serious medical problem, so how can you tell if this discoloration is from beets?
Have your stools appeared black lately, and did you wonder if this wasn’t from having recently eaten beets or the juice of this vegetable, and instead feel fearful that you might have a serious disease?
“Black stools are often a sign of bleeding from a site in the upper GI tract, such as an ulcer, etc.,” says Michael Blume, MD, a gastroenterologist at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, Baltimore.
“Other things can make your stool black, however,” says Dr. Blume.
“Common causes of this could include medications such as iron or Pepto Bismol, as well as certain foods, such as spinach or beets.”
So there you have it: Beets, indeed, can make bowel movements appear black, but be careful here.
Beents cannot make poops literally as solid black as chunks of coal.
However, in certain light, poops can appear off-black or an extremely dark brown, like a brownish-black.
What does this look like, when compared to the very dark discoloration from old blood?
Since I’m in that 10-15 percent of the population who experiences visible undigested beet pigment (betain), I can tell you what “black stool beeturia” looks like.
Whenever my BMs appear “black,” I’ve noticed that they are small and in clusters like big pebbles (size of marbles).
The color is actually off-black or a very dark brown. It’s possible that the size and shape of the poops create the illusion of a darker hue.
They aren’t this dark when they’re larger in diameter and more link-like.
Often, the smaller an object is, the deeper its color appears to be, at least when the color is inherently dark.
So what you are “seeing” as black bowel movements may actually be just a very dark brown.
I recommend removing a few from the toilet and setting on a paper plate in good light.
Then place something black, such an article of clothing, besides your poops and make the judgment.
The pigment of my darkest stools, resulting from beet ingestion, is actually an attractive brown-black. It has a smooth, rich quality and its uniform.
If the sight of “black” stools alarms you even though you know it has to be from the beets you recently consumed, you should increase your fiber intake—a lot.
This will loosen your bowel movements and tend to make them lighter, even if there’s betain in them.
In practice for 25+ years, Dr. Blume treats over 65 conditions including abdominal pain, appetite loss, blood in stool, celiac disease, colon cancer, esophageal and liver disease, gas and IBS.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Gayvoronskaya_Yana
Black Stools from Colon Cancer vs. Acid Reflux
A doctor addresses the question of how do black stools from colon cancer compare to those caused by acid reflux.
I wanted to know if there were distinct differences in the appearance of black stools from acid reflux compared to those that can result from colon cancer.
“Black stools are not commonly seen with a problem in the lower gastrointestinal tract, as bleeding from the colon is more often bright red or maroon, assuming it is significant bleeding,” begins Michael Blume, MD, a gastroenterologist at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, Baltimore.
“Remember that colon cancers usually do not cause acute massive bleeding; they more often just ooze, so depending on the location, one may see some blood with a bowel movement or perhaps no visible blood at all.
“Blood is also a very good laxative, so a good way to determine if one is massively bleeding is to look at whether the stools are formed or loose, and how often they are occurring.
“Reflux disease in and of itself does not cause black stools, unless one is bleeding significantly from an ulceration related to severe reflux disease.
“If one is bleeding enough to cause black stools, one is usually having some significant bleeding.”
In practice for 25+ years, Dr. Blume treats over 65 conditions including abdominal pain, appetite loss, blood in stool, celiac disease, colon cancer, esophageal and liver disease, gas and IBS.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Twinsterphoto
Causes of Nausea When Working Out in Well-Fed Athletes
There are several possible causes of nausea that occurs when you work out.
Are you troubled by the onset of nausea every time, or almost every time, you put in a good hard workout?
And I don’t necessarily mean after the training session, but during.
As a former personal trainer, I’ve had more than one client get “sick” during the course of a training session.
I can immediately recall three clients who got nauseated — two during the workout, and one immediately after.
All three were de-conditioned, and I worked them pretty hard.
One of them appeared to be under-nourished (underweight).
The intuitive explanation, then, for why a person suffers nausea during a workout is that they are undernourished, dehydrated and/or out of shape.
But what about fitter, well-fed, hydrated individuals?
“The causes of nausea while working out are likely similar to that of reflux in athletes,” says Steven Fleisher, MD, a gastroenterologist in Rosedale, Maryland, with 20+ years of experience.
“These include decreased emptying of the stomach due to diversion of blood flow away from the digestive system to the muscles.
“This may also affect contractions of the digestive system in general (dysmotility).
“Interestingly, it does not appear that stomach acidity is affected by exercise.
“However, increase in bile acids that can irritate the stomach and cause nausea have been reported.”
Dr. Fleisher was named a 2015-2018 “Top Doc” by Baltimore Magazine for gastroenterology.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Shutterstock/Mix and Match Studio
Causes of Dizziness While Eating in the Elderly
The probable cause of dizziness when an elderly person eats is related to the aging process, says a doctor.
Do you know of an elderly person who reports feeling dizzy when they eat (or shortly afterwards)?
Or perhaps you yourself, being over age 65, get a feeling of dizziness during a meal.
Eating should not make anybody feel dizzy or lightheaded.
What can cause this dizzy feeling while eating?
“I can see that happening in the elderly with poor head and brain circulation,” says Carolyn Dean, MD, ND – Medical Advisory Board Member of the non-profit Nutritional Magnesium Association at nutritionalmagnesium.org.
“Perhaps with carotid artery plaque. Then when they eat, blood is diverted to the stomach and less gets to the head and brain.”
Carotid artery plaque means “clogged” arteries, or a narrowed diameter of the interior of the arteries.
This means reduced blood flow to the brain. So when this blood flow is diverted due to the intake of food, this can be a tipping point as far as reduced blood flow to the brain — resulting in a funny feeling in the head.
With blood being diverted to the stomach to facilitate the digestive process, there’s less blood reaching the brain neurons in the elderly person.
This compounds the already-compromised circulation due to carotid artery disease.
Solutions to the dizziness?
Dr. Dean says, “First use high dose magnesium therapy and vitamin K2 to help dissolve the calcium in plaque before preceding with the standard therapy of surgical removal of carotid artery plaque.”
The best way to take a magnesium supplement, says Dr. Dean, is in powdered form, because it absorbs the best.
Magnesium aids with hundreds of functions in the body, and most people do not get enough of this mineral.
Powdered magnesium is readily sold online and at stores. It’s tasteless and mixes easily with water.
This is not the cure for carotid artery disease, but can be part of the overall management of the condition.
If your primary care physician is not able to tell you what can be causing a dizzy feeling when eating, you should see a cardiologist and inquire about carotid artery disease.
Dr. Dean, in practice for 35+ years and author of “The Magnesium Miracle,” is also a naturopath, nutritionist, herbalist, acupuncturist, lecturer and consultant.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/fizkes
Morning Nose Crud: Causes & Solutions
Do you awaken every morning with your nose blocked up with hard goop or crud that can’t be blown out?
Even in the absence of a cold, a person can suffer from a blocked nose every single morning, and it can even interfere with the sense of smell and taste, and impair optimal oxygen flow through the nasal passages during breathing.
Causes of Morning Nose Gunk
Allergies can be a cause of a morning blocked nose, says Dr. Stacey Silvers, MD, of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in NYC, who is board certified in otolaryngology. Allergies increase mucous production, blocking up the nose.
“This can be from poor nasal clearance, nasal blockage and nasal dryness,” says Dr. Silvers.
Chronic sinusitis can also be a culprit, causing greater mucus production overnight, leading to this most aggravating problem.
Solutions to a Morning Blocked Nose
Use a humidifier; this will moisten the bedroom air. By next morning, if you have any gunk up your nose, it should at least be softer and more easily blown out.
“Regular use of nasal rinses can prevent mucous buildup,” says Dr. Silvers. This is most effectively done with a neti pot, and this is sold at common drug stores.
Neti pot. Shutterstock/kavzov
“Use the neti pot with saline rinses designed just for irrigating the nose. If allergies are the cause then allergy medication can be helpful.”
Do not aggressively pick up through your nose to extract the hard mucus, as this can result in bleeding and possibly irritation to the nerves inside the nasal passages.
Too much irritation may even result in a headache.
An NYC expert in ear, nose and throat care, Dr. Silvers has been named among America’s Top Physicians and Surgeons in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology numerous times since 2003. Dr. Silvers is an expert in the field of minimally invasive rhinology, resolving patients’ breathing and sinus problems with simple in-office procedures.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Top image: Shutterstock/ReaLiia
Can Esophageal Spasms Come in Certain Patterns?
Find out the nature of esophageal spasms in terms of type of contraction…
Esophageal spasms are always of interest to those with health anxiety because they can cause severe chest pain.
And of course, chest pain really rattles those with heart health anxiety.
They may wonder what kind of different flavors such a spasm can present in.
Can esophageal spasms come in various patterns, waves or be interval-based?
“There are various patterns of abnormal esophageal contraction that are non-specific and include diffuse distributed throughout] esophageal spasm, hypertensive peristalsis or ‘nutcracker esophagus,’ and hypertensive lower esophageal sphincter,” says Steven Fleisher, MD, a gastroenterologist in Rosedale, Maryland, with 20+ years of experience.
“There is a disorder called achalasia in which the valve at the lower end of the esophagus, the lower esophageal sphincter, is almost permanently in spasm and relaxes poorly with swallowing.”
Can mental stress trigger an esophageal spasm?
Dr. Fleisher explains, “The relationship between stress and esophageal spasm is not clear.
“Indirectly, medications that are often helpful in these conditions include antidepressants, suggesting that stress does play a role.
“Furthermore, psychological symptoms are often associated with these disorders including anxiety and depression. Patients with these conditions often report feeling ‘stressed.’”
To calm your body from mental stress, get plenty of exercise.
Shutterstock/G-Stock Studio
Physical activity helps reduce stress hormones like cortisol and stimulates the production of endorphins, which are natural mood lifters.
Exercise also improves sleep, boosts self-esteem and provides a healthy distraction from daily worries.
Whether it’s a brisk walk, a workout at the gym or a yoga session, incorporating exercise into your routine can make a significant difference in how you handle stress.
You should work out hard to soothe a harried soul. Nothing does this quite like panting and sweat.
You should not consider housework as a form of structured exercise to combat stress, especially since cleaning the house often has a built-in component of stress to begin with.
Dr. Fleisher says that the best test for diagnosing a spasm of the esophagus — which can sometimes be very painful — is the esophageal motility study, “performed with a catheter inserted through the nose while the patient is awake and unsedated.
“It is seldom performed in clinical practice secondary to poor patient tolerance.”
Dr. Fleisher was named a 2015-2018 “Top Doc” by Baltimore Magazine for gastroenterology.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/siam.pukkato
Why a Spin Class Can Cause Anal/Rectal Bleeding
A doctor explains why a spin class or similar can result in blood all over your panties from anal bleeding.
Have you ever gone to the restroom following a spin class, pulled down your underpants, only to nearly have your eyes pop out at what you saw—fresh blood smeared all over your underwear?
“Spin class or intense prolonged use of a stationary bike may cause anal bleeding through direct and indirect mechanisms,” explains Steven Fleisher, MD, a gastroenterologist in Rosedale, Maryland, with 20+ years of experience.
“Direct mechanisms would include irritation to the anal, and peri-anal skin through prolonged pressure, especially if one remained in the saddle for prolonged periods of time.”
Anal bleeding once happened to me.
It wasn’t a spin class, but I was on a stationary bike doing high intensity interval training.
By the time I was done, the bike had moved a few feet along the floor.
I hadn’t used a stationary bike for an extremely long period of time. I made a trip to the john, pulled down my white panties, and lo and behold…red blood stains all over the inner portion of the garment. I immediately connected the dots.
This is the only time I’d ever experienced anal bleeding from cycling, and I believe it was due to a combination of not having been on a stationary bike for a very long time, and the fact that this particular machine jostled quite a bit as I pedaled.
Prevention of Anal Bleeding from Cycling
Dr. Fleisher explains, “Here, using the correct apparel such as riding briefs with a chamois may be important.
“In addition, any pre-existing peri-anal conditions such as warts, or hemorrhoids, may be further inflamed, and bleed.
“Indirectly, prolonged sitting is one of the factors that predispose to hemorrhoid formation, which in turn may cause bleeding.
“There are several theories about how hemorrhoids actually form that include changes in tissue integrity, increased anal tone, and swelling of the hemorrhoidal cushions (veins).”
Dr. Fleisher was named a 2015-2018 “Top Doc” by Baltimore Magazine for gastroenterology.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Does All Your Food Taste Fishy? Possible Causes
What could be the reason everything you eat tastes like fish?
More people than you think suffer with the problem of tasting something fishy every time they eat.
But what could make “everything you eat” have a fishy taste?
I posed this question to Carolyn Dean, MD, ND – Medical Advisory Board Member of the non-profit Nutritional Magnesium Association at nutritionalmagnesium.org.
Dr. Dean says this:
“I just know of this metabolic disorder. Fish odor syndrome (trimethylaminuria) is a rare metabolic disorder caused by a specific gene (FMO3) mutation.
“This gene mutation is caused by an autosomal recessive trait.
“It is estimated that approximately 1 percent of the population has this recessive trait, but it takes two copies of the gene to actually have the symptoms of the condition.
“If the mother and father both have one copy of the mutated gene, the child can develop the condition.
“This disorder is characterized by the inability to metabolize a compound (a byproduct of protein digestion) in the body called trimethyamine.
“As a result of this metabolic disorder, the breath, sweat and urine have a very strong odor of fish.”
If someone has this disorder, and much of the food they eat takes on a fishy flavor, it may be due to their trimethylaminuria – which they probably have not been diagnosed with, since it’s a rare condition.
On the other hand, it may very well be possible to experience a fishy taste in your foods when you don’t have this strange metabolic disorder.
See if you can rule out fish contamination when you prepare foods.
For instance, was a bowl that someone in the house used to make tuna salad thoroughly cleaned before you put your fruit salad in there?
If you can rule out fish contamination, it may be very enlightening to have a thorough workup with an ear, nose and throat doctor, as well as with a gastroenterologist.
Acid reflux can cause unpleasant persistent tastes in the mouth, which can affect the taste of food — and may even be perceived as “fishy.”
Dr. Dean, in practice for 35+ years and author of “The Magnesium Miracle,” is also a naturopath, nutritionist, herbalist, acupuncturist, lecturer and consultant.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Fish Freepik.com, brgfx
Can a TCA Peel off a Melanoma?
Find out if it’s possible for a TCA to peel off a melanoma…
You may be wondering if even the thinnest melanoma can be peeled off with a TCA treatment.
“Melanoma will not be affected by peeling since it’s within the second layer of the skin (dermis), and it would have to be surgically removed,” says Allen Gabriel, MD, board certified plastic surgeon with PeaceHealth Medical Group Plastic Surgery in Vancouver, WA.
But what about very early (superficial spreading) melanoma in the top layer of skin?
“Melanocytes reside between the basal layer of epidermis and superficial layer of dermis,” explains Dr. Gabriel.
“A peel [TCA] should never go that deep; otherwise, would cause a second-degree burn with exposed dermis.
“Peels take off the stratum corneum and maybe the second layer, but not any deeper (at least TCA used appropriately). So someone with melanoma, you can still see it after the peel.”
If you had brown spots prior to a TCA peel, and they’re still there, these aren’t necessarily melanoma.
Dr. Gabriel explains, “The brown spots (sun spots) are dead keratinocytes [a particular type of cell] that have the melanin pigment trapped in them.”
Simply put, the TCA procedure will not “peel off” a melanoma.
The cells of this cancer are pretty tough and will not budge from a cosmetic treatment.
Melanoma. Cancer.gov
If you suspect you might have a melanoma or other skin cancer on your face (or anywhere, for that matter), you should hold off on any TCA procedure and instead have your dermatologist inspect the suspicious spot.
Your doctor may decide to remove the spot and have it biopsied.
A complete removal includes the underside of the suspected melanoma, not just the portion that you can see.
Even if it’s removed strictly for cosmetic purposes, it still should undergo a biopsy — just to play safe!
Dr. Gabriel
