Even though your foot is like the stepchild of the body, paying more attention to them can better your overall health.

Your feet can help you to see issues such as diabetes that has not yet been diagnosed, cardiovascular disease, cancer and kidney disease. This means that paying attention to your fee can assist in diagnosing health issues prior to having permanent damage. By inspecting your feet daily you will become familiar with them and know when something may need further looking into.

Your feet are at the lowest part of the body and has the longest arteries and nerves which makes them show early warning signs of your body.

Researchers say that because of gravity disease can be detected because as your blood circulates to the lowest part of your body, if your heart isn’t strong enough to pump it back efficiently, problems become evident. If you are diabetic, the extra sugar will damage the nerves and other tissues.

Your feet may swell if you have high or weak blood pressure or other types of heart problems. If vessels become infected, tissues die and must be removed. When your heart fails to pump correctly, gravity will pull fluids down to the feet. This may have you to think you have a foot or leg problem when in fact it could be your heart.

Kidney disease may also cause the feet to swell. You must watch for changes in feeling and color of your feet. If you develop sudden dark areas or discoloration of your toes, that can be a sign of blood circulation problems. Unexplained sores, cuts and numbness in the feet may be a sign of diabetes.

If you press on a swollen area of your feet and it leaves an indentation or dimple, that can mean your heart is not functioning properly, even congestive heart failure. Accompanied by a little red or bluish discoloration, that can mean a vascular issue.

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Finding a problem can give doctors a head start on treating it, he says. "When you find one of these symptoms, you work backward to find out what's causing the problem that's manifesting itself in your feet," Benjamin says. "Swelling doesn't come from a problem with the feet. It comes from a problem with the heart."

What The Feet Reflect

For people with or without health problems, look for signs that can signal impending problems. Experts say all of these problems can be magnified for smokers. Plummer says, "When someone smokes and looks at their toes and they're darker and blue-red, you wonder if smoking is giving you vascular disease, and the answer is yes."

Smoking causes circulation problems in healthy people. So if you smoke, expect your toes and feet to darken. Experts say that's caused when poor circulation causes the veins to back up like a clogged drain. Otherwise, here are some problems that can be detected by just looking at your feet.

Diabetes

This is the disease that most shows itself in your feet. And undiagnosed or ignored diabetes can lead to foot amputation. "I diagnose 30 to 40 cases of diabetes a year for people who didn't know they were diabetic," Sloan says. The American Diabetes Association reports that in 2002, more than 60 percent of lower-limb amputations not because of an accident were for people with diabetes. That adds up to 82,000 people. A major symptom is numbing in the feet and toes. Formally known as neuropathy, numbing is the primary predecessor to amputations. It means tissues and nerves aren't getting a good blood supply. When that happens, they die. The surplus blood sugar stream damages the walls of blood vessels and nerve endings. The result can be so severe that people find wounds on their feet and don't know what caused them.

Stroke

If you're older and you suddenly start tripping a lot, you could have had a mild stroke. "Nerves automatically lift the feet when they walk," Plummer says. "You don't have to think about it." A foot not lifting properly is called "foot drop." Something is inhibiting the nerves. A mild stroke, a back injury or diabetes can cause foot drop. Smoking enhances these effects.

The Wrong Shoes

Although poor-fitting shoes aren't classified as a disease — although podiatrists believe they should be — corns, calluses, hammertoes and ingrown toenails are problems for millions of people. The key is to take care of problems as soon as you see them. Don't wait for pain to become unbearable. Then invest in a couple of pairs of shoes that fit right.

Cardiovascular Disease

Swelling often is a sign that your heart isn't pumping fluids through your body with enough force. Fluids settle in lower legs, ankles and feet. Press on a spot on a swollen foot and if it leaves an indentation and the color lightens drastically for a few seconds, you need to report that to your doctor quickly. The diseases could be hypertension, congestive heart failure, hardened arteries, kidney problems or other vascular problems. Smoking enhances this problem.

Obesity

Doctors say the most common groups of people complaining about foot problems are obese and elderly people. Obesity can cause any of the above problems as well as arthritis. "The feet can tell when you're carrying too much weight, and that's a common cause of pain," Plummer says. "Your feet were designed to carry a certain amount of weight. So people who are obese will complain of pain."

Skin Cancer

Your toes beneath the nails can indicate a very rare but dangerous form of skin cancer. Beneath the toe, a bruise will appear for no reason, then it won't grow or shrink, and it doesn't grow out with the nail as a bruise would. The vast majority of the time, toe discoloration is because of fungus or a bruise.

Thyroid Gland Problems

Brittle nails can mean problems with the thyroid gland. See your doctor.

All of the experts agree: Don't self-diagnose. But experts also agree that educating yourself on the possibilities is vital. Research your condition, says Plummer, and compare symptoms with your family history and other risk factors. "Doctors love informed patients," Plummer says.

Keep An Eye on Your Feet

Mary Doerr, foot-care nurse with the Diabetes Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, teaches people how to keep an eye on their feet. Doerr and other foot-care experts offered these tips on keeping your feet problem-free.

Keep them clean. Wash your feet every day with mild soap and warm water. Especially if you're older, test the water with your hand. This is important because if you're suffering from a loss of feeling you won't scald your feet. Dry your feet completely, making sure you get between your toes. Damp toes become bacteria motels. Drying powders help.

During your inspection, look for changes: redness, cracks in skin, sores, color changes. If you have a blister, cut or sore, watch how quickly it heals. If it takes more than a few days, see your doctor. Slow-healing sores are a sign of diabetes, and long-lasting sores have a better chance of becoming infected. Do not endure foot pain.

Wear healthy socks. That means no cotton. Cotton traps moisture inside the shoe, and that creates a welcome home for germs. Wear shoes that fit. Shoe manufacturers have made orthopedic shoes almost unnecessary. Shoes come in every width, stiffness and size.