Feet On Fire: Symptom Of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm?

Feet on Fire

Saved My Life In An Ironman, in 2010

Another Case, Finally

Feet on fire? Might want to get an aorta scan.

And another four today! Rocio, Frances, Mary, Kevin

Comment by Kevin (Not FitOldDog): I went through that before I had surgery. Doctors just blew it off. I’d walk barefoot in the snow or soak in a bucket of ice water.

Mayo Clinic – Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)

Symptoms

Human arterial blood supply: Your feet are a long way from your heart. Image source.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms often grow slowly and usually without symptoms, making them difficult to detect. Some aneurysms will never rupture. Many start small and stay small, although many expand over time. Others expand quickly. Predicting how fast an abdominal aortic aneurysm may enlarge is difficult.

As an abdominal aortic aneurysm enlarges, some people may notice:

• A pulsating feeling near the navel
• Deep, constant pain in your abdomen or on the side of your abdomen
• Back pain

If you have any of these signs and symptoms, such as sudden severe back or abdominal pain, get immediate emergency help.

We may have another symptom to add your list, Mayo Clinic?

I’m a great believer in listening to our feet, especially when it comes to pain and discomfort. There’s always a message hidden in there, somewhere.

I dismissed the first sign of my abdominal aortic aneurysm, in 2010: a prominent abdominal pulse. I was Ironman lean, and my resting pulse was 38 beats per minute. I thought it was just a mesenteric vessel.

Thanks, Patti. Much appreciated, kev

I couldn’t ignore the second sign, feet on fire in an Ironman race, at about 10 miles into the run – yes, my feet felt as if they were literally on fire, especially the soles of my feet, but only while I was running. It would go away as soon as I stood still or started to walk. This eventually led me to suspect an AAA, which turned out to be 6.9 cm. in diameter, and ready to blow.

I attributed my feet on fire to impaired feed pressure of blood to the soles of my feet. The furthest site from the high pressure driver of arterial blood flow, the elastic recoil of the aortic arch. This is pure speculation of course: I wonder if it’s correct? Researching intra-aortic and intra-arterial blood pressure curves on Google did not clarify the issue. Then, I didn’t spend a whole lot of time on it.

I’d never heard of a second case of AAA feet on fire, until today, on the abdominal aortic awareness page.

You can read that conversation (with permission) on the billboard.

I’d get your aorta checked, if you have your feet on fire, when you’re active.

Thoughts?

kev aka FitOldDog