Flat feet affects about 30% of the population. Having fallen arches can interfere with your lifestyle. It can cause pain and discomfort, with the potential to create health issues. 

So, are the shape of your soles causing you to experience problems? Read on to learn more on how to tell if you have flat feet. 

Are There Any Risks of Having Flat Feet?

It’s common to question: do I have flat feet and what does this mean for me? You can be born with flat feet or this can occur as a result of an injury.

Broken bones, inflammation, and arthritis can cause flat feet. Obesity, pregnancy, and older age can also increase your risk

Pain is often a sign of how to know if you have flat feet. As you may experience pain and discomfort in the feet and knees.

This condition can also only affect one of your feet or both of them. Risks of being flat-footed can lead to conditions like plantar fasciitis. Achilles tendonitis and shin splints may also occur. 

How to Tell if You Have Flat Feet?

So, how do you know if you have flat feet? Symptoms include feet that become swollen, tired, or painful. 

Flat footedness is easy to identify by looking at your own footprint. A person without flat feet with only show an outline of their toes, heel, and balls of the foot.

You will also be able to see the outer strip of the foot. The size of the stip will depend on how high your foot arch is.  

A person with flat feet will show all these characteristics. Yet, their footprint will also show more of the arch of their foot as it reaches the ground.  

Looking at your shoes can also help with how to tell if you’re flat-footed. Those with flat feet tend to wear their shoes down more in certain areas.

The shoe soles will look uneven. This wearing down gets shown more on the interior side of the shoe. 

A podiatrist can also help you to detect if you have flat feet. They can also alert you if it seems to be causing any foot conditions.  

Can You Correct Flat Feet?

After you learn how to tell if you have flat feet, things can get done to help this.  Tennis shoes for people with flat feet work to help support the fallen arch. 

You can also ice your feet to help soothe them. Taking anti-inflammatories can also help with pain and discomfort. Surgery is also an option for more extreme cases.  

Living with Flat Feet 

Learning how to tell if you have flat feet can help avoid the development of certain foot conditions. Finding ways to correct flat feet can help you to relieve pain and discomfort. 

It will also make it easier to engage in physical activity. As people with flat feet sometimes get more easily tired. They also may experience pain when working out.

Correcting flat-footedness can help you to live a healthier and more comfortable lifestyle. Looking for more tips on enhancing your well being? Check out the health section of our blog for more advice.