You are on your feet constantly, and they take you anywhere and everywhere that you must go. Therefore, it makes sense that 80% of Americans have suffered some kind of foot problem at some point in their lives, with 50% of individuals reporting that it affects their overall quality of life. You probably don't give your feet much thought until they begin giving you discomfort. When you are having foot pain, here are three potential reasons why.

1. Bunions

A bunion can be distinguished by a painful bump at the bases of your toe, usually the big one. The growth often can result in the toe leaning diagonally inward, which makes it very painful to wear your shoes. This is particularly difficult for women who wear high heels or other tight shoes since they are constantly rubbing against the bunion. As a result, swelling, inflammation, and redness are likely to occur, though adding padding/taping or changing shoes can often ease the pain.

2. Hammertoes

When one of your toe muscles weakens, it attempts to compensate for that weakened muscles by applying pressure on the joints and tendons in one of the other toes. This is done in an effort to maintain proper body balance, but it winds up resulting in the toe sticking up at the joint, making it very painful to wear shoes. Similar to the case with bunions, your feet may become red, swollen, and inflamed, especially when you remove shoes that have been rubbing against the affected toes.

3. Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is among the most common culprits of foot and heel pain and is known as overuse syndrome. It occurs when the tissue that is located along the bottom of the foot—known as the plantar fascia—becomes inflamed. This condition is more common in individuals who wear improper shoes, are overweight, or are runners. Individuals who suffer from this particular condition often experience a stabbing pain first thing in the morning or after an extended period of inactivity.

If you have noticed any of the aforementioned issues or have just simply been experiencing any kind of foot pain, it is important that you contact a local podiatrist office and have your foot evaluated by a professional. The longer that you wait, the more pain that you will experience and the more difficult it will be to develop a proper treatment plan to alleviate the pain and repair the problem.