Our feet are seriously overworked. Day in and day out, they carry and support us, get us from one place to another and put up with a lot of friction. And yet, they are one of the most neglected parts of the body. While we wash our hands umpteen times a day and pamper them with moisturizers and lotions, we bundle our feet in socks, thrust them into hard shoes, leave them open in the night and get them back to work the next day. If our organs could revolt, our feet would be the first to do so.
We do know about foot care. However, we tend to not implement it most of the time. Our feet need to be cared for. Foot care is of utmost importance among diabetics. Even among non-diabetics, foot care needs to change from a mere topic of discussion to a regular habit.
Dangers to the feet
Athlete's foot is a common fungal infection. It is usually caused by wearing ill-ventilated shoes in humid and moist climates and inadequate hygiene. It is transmitted through moist objects such as wet towels and floors.
Diabetic feet refers to the variety of foot-related problems, including ulcers, that are found in people suffering from Diabetes Mellitus and is the leading cause of most lower-foot amputations.
Calluses refer to thickened skin areas in between and underneath toes. Corns are calluses of dead skin formed on the upper surface of the toes. They are caused by excessive rubbing and friction on the soles and toes.
Apart from these, the feet are vulnerable to wounds caused by small objects trapped in shoes or excessive friction which can develop into infections due to inadequate hygiene. Heels also develop cracks which may turn painful and get infected over time if not properly cared for.
Most infection to the feet can be treated by medication and hygiene. Calluses and corns can also wear off by themselves or can be rubbed off gradually with pumice stones. Cracked heels can be treated and prevented with moisturizing and crack lotions. And most other complications can be prevented by proper care and hygiene.
Foot care procedures
- Regular washing of the feet is absolutely necessary. Even with a day-long tiring schedule where we end up reaching the comfort of the bed late in the night or at very odd timings, we need to ensure that we spend enough time cleaning the feet of all the sweat or dust accumulated through the day. Before going to bed is a good time to wash them because after that, we don't walk around on floors barefoot picking up dust.
- Use a pumice stone or a good cleaner to rub the soles and the under-toes to endure that all the dirt is actually rubbed off. However, do not rub so hard that you end up bruising yourself. Also, do not use too much friction while rubbing the upper part of your feet.
- Just as it is necessary to wash our feet, it is also equally important to dry them. Moisture is the leading cause of most foot-related problems and keeping the legs dry helps avoid a lot of them. Use a clean, dry towel to rub your feet dry after washing them. Do not forget to wipe the soles and in between the toes, because that can be a breeding ground for fungi if left moist. Assign a separate towel for your feet (of course, you wouldn't want to rub the same on other parts of your body) and do not share it with anyone because fungi spread through towels. Always ensure that your feet are completely dry before putting on your socks, because once you bundle them up in shoes, there is little chances of them drying up.
- Use a moisturizer on your feet before going to sleep. It prevents dry scaly skin and keeps the feet smooth. It also helps prevent cracks on the heels.
- If you have feet that sweat a lot, apply some talcum powder before you wear your shoes. The powder will help absorb the sweat and prevent excessive sweating. Lesser the sweat, lesser the smell. However, do not use excessive powder specially if you wear socks because the powder, mixed with sweat, will gather into your socks, leading to an even more foul smell.
- Toe nails need to be cared for, too. Keep your nails trimmed to avoid pain caused by footwear. Long toenails are also more likely to get chipped and can cause pain. Clean the area under your toe nails well. Some nails tends to grow sideways into the skin if not cut regularly and can cause wounds.
Wear right
Your footwear decides the health of your feet. Wear shoes or sandals that are comfortable and do not put too much pressure at one point. Needless to say, very high heels are bad. Make sure your feet fit in comfortably on the sides and your toenails do not cramp up against the front. Uncomfortable footwear can cause corns and calluses, besides blisters and wounds.
Always check the inside of your shoes for small objects that can bruise your feet. This is specially true for diabetics who need to take extra care of their feet. Even among the rest of us, wounds and bruises in the feet can get infected really quick and hence, must be prevented to the most.
Best Regards
Prakash Nair
No comments:
Post a Comment