Foot Care For Your Feet - How To Do It Right?

The feet are a very vital part of our body, but many of people take it for granted. Many people treat the feet as though they are not supposed to be maintained, they force the feet into tight shoes and heels, maintaining poor hygiene and do all sorts of things to the feet. As a result these cause several problems to the feet and body including diseases such as athlete’s foot, smelly feet, pain the knee, hip and back and which in most times causes us to breakdown. To prevent them, you must start caring for you feet today. The following tips will help you have healthy feet and prevent complications common with poor foot care.

Tips

• Wash your feet daily – morning and evening. When washing, pay attention to the skin in between your toes as these areas can house some bacteria which can cause foot disease. Also dry your feet after wash also pay attention to the areas between your toes.

• Pay attention to your toenails by trimming the nails.

• Purchase the right size of shoes, especially shoes you feel comfortable in. if you must wear heels don’t wear over long distance.

• Put on the right shoes for specific activities. For example, let me exaggerate; don’t wear high heels to jog.

• Don’t wear the same pair of shoes and socks day by day.

• Always try to wear socks, especially socks that can absorb sweat, when putting on shoes as it will help to absorb a great percentage of the sweat from the feet.

• Protect your feet from all forms of diseases by not walking on bare foot especially when using public facilities like swimming pools, bathrooms, etc.

• Drink plenty of water to hydrate your skin. You can also use moisturizer soaps. Creams, or lotion to replace moisture content in the skin.

The following foot care tips will help you to prevent problems associated with poor foot care.

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Cracked Feet - Causes, Prevention And Treatment

Cracked feet is one of the symptoms of dry feet. Cracked feet can occur along side other symptoms of dry feet. Cracked feet may become severe when there is a deep cracks in the affected area called ‘fissure’. Anyone can develop cracked feet especially in the winter and in the harmattan seasons in the tropical regions of the world.

Cracked skin develops more on the hands and feet. The areas of the feet most prone to the development of cracked feet are the heels. When the skin of the feet is open, it becomes exposed to bacteria and fungal infections.

Cracked Feet Causes

• Dry and cold weather can cause cracked feet. When there is excessive cold or dry weather outside and when you expose yourself to such weather, then you are likely going to develop cracked feet. This is common during the winter in the temperate region and the harmattan season in the tropical region.


• When you are obese or when you gain excessive weight there tends to be an extra weight on the feet which can cause the feet to crack.
  

• Showering often and spending long time in the bath can also cause your skin to lose moisture which can result in cracks.

• The use of strong soaps during bathing and showering can also cause cracks on the feet.

Prevention
The following are helpful in the prevention of crack feet.

• Avoid hot bath and showers and stay off strong soaps.


• Watch your diet. Check the rate at which you add weight.

• Do not spend long time in the shower or bath. Keep it short.


• Protect your feet from excessive cold and dry weather. You can use socks/shoes.

• Drink lots of water as it helps you stay hydrated which in turn prevent cracked feet.

Cracked Feet Treatment
To effectively treat cracked feet, you must stop involving yourself in those things that causes cracked feet. I have listed two ways below that would be helpful in the treatment of cracked feet.

1    Soak feet in lukewarm water for few minutes as it helps to soften the cracked feet.

2    Super glue can be very effective in the treatment of cracked feet. Apply a drop of glue in between the cracks. Use your hand to hold together until it dries off.  This helps to keep the skin of the feet together during the healing process. No matter the number of cracks, put a drop of Super glue on the spaces between the cracks and because super glue dries quickly, within a short time you are through. If it cracks again, apply another drop.

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Dry Feet - Causes And Prevention

Dry feet (Xerosis) is a condition that can affect anyone. But, its common with those with athlete’s foot or diabetics or those who don’t moisturize their feet regularly with products containing moisturizer. Dry skin around the heels can cause crack due to the severity of the feet dryness.
People with dry feet can also experience other symptoms such as itchiness of the feet, cracks in the feet, rash (usually as a result of itching, peeling of the skin, etc.

In this article, you are going to learn about the causes, prevention and possible treatment of dry feet.

Dry Feet Causes

Essentially, dry feet are caused by lack of moisture in the skin. However, there are several factors that can cause dry feet. They include the following:

• When a person lose more water than he/she takes in , they get dehydrated. And once dehydration sets in, it often leads to dry skin which also include the skin of the feet.


• As one gets older, the skin loses its suppleness and this cause the skin dry at the slightest opportunity which include also the feet.


• Using certain products on the feet can cause it to dry. For instance there are soaps made from strong chemicals and this often has drying effect on the skin.
  

• Showering or bathing often especially hot showers or bath with soaps that do not contain moisturizer can cause the skin to dry thus, causing dry feet.


• Certain skin disease such as eczema and psoriasis can also cause the skin to dry.


• Exposing your feet to sunlight for a long period.


• Winter weather and dry climate can also cause dry skin. They lead to loss of moisture in the skin. There is also the issue of wind and hot temperature which aggravate the dryness of the skin.


• Dry feet can also be due to genetic conditions. So, a person with dry feet may have been transferred from the parent.

Prevention of Dry Feet

• Avoid using products that cause the skin to dry.

• Avoid using hot water to bathe because they contribute to the dryness of the feet. Instead use lukewarm water.

• Moisturize regularly especially when your feet come in contact with water.

• Avoid using products that contain alcohol in it. This is because it cause your skin to dry.

• Keep your skin hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

In terms of treatment, there are ways get rid of dry feet. There are home remedies, products that can help to cure dry feet. You can contact your dermatologist for proper foot examination and treatment for dry feet.

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Smelly Feet - Causes, Prevention And Treatment

Have you had to deal with a smelly feet? I tell you its problematic and embarrassing. You find it difficult to take off your shoes and socks in places where there are people because of the unpleasant smell from the feet. In this article you are going to learn about the causes of smelly feet, how to prevent it and possible treatment for smelly feet.

What causes smelly feet?
Sweaty feet is one of the major causes of smelly feet. Although, sweat itself is odorless, it creates an environment that favors the growth of bacteria that causes smelly feet to strive. The causes of sweaty feet can also cause smelly feet. For example, putting on shoes and socks, that does not allow your feet to breath for many hours. Wearing socks made from nylon and polyester can also cause excessive sweating which can lead to smelly feet. The hair on the feet may also contribute to the intensity of the smell by increasing the surface area for the bacterial to strive.

How to prevent smelly feet
Prevention of sweaty feet can also be useful in preventing smelly feet. This is because some of the methods of preventing sweaty feet can also be useful in preventing smelly feet.

• Wear socks made of wool or cotton which allow for ventilation.

• Always put on shoes with socks. Because it helps to absorb water especially those made for cotton thereby, reducing the amount of perspiration.

• Avoid shoes that are made from synthetic materials.

• Remove shoes periodically especially when worn for a longtime to reduce moisture on the feet thereby reducing bacterial from striving.

• Observe proper hygiene as it can help to prevent smelly feet.

• Do not wear one pair of shoes /socks day in day out. Have several of them.


• Finally, keep your feet dry.

Treatment for smelly feet
Wash your feet with antibacterial soaps regularly. You can buy shoes that help to eat up odor. There are antiperspirants creams, powder, soaps and sometimes drug that can help you combat the bacterial and reduce sweat.

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Itchy Feet Meaning, Symptoms, Causes, Prevention and Treatment

Have you ever had to deal with itchy feet? If you had, you must agree with me that it is a very irritating and annoying experience.You feel like picking anything you find around to scratch your feet. Itchy feet can affect anyone.This post has information on itchy feet meaning, symptoms, causes, prevention and treatment.

Itchy Feet Meaning

Itchy feet means an irritating sensation around the feet that cause a desire to scratch. You can read about other meaning of itchy feet. I wrote a post about it sometime ago.

Itchy Feet Symptoms

Some of the itchy feet symptoms include the following;

• Itching of the feet and the toes. This could be mild or severe itching.

• Inflammation of the feet.

• There could be bleeding of the skin due to constant itching.

What Causes Itchy Feet?

Itchy feet causes include the following:

• Wearing of shoes or socks while they are wet. Bacteria strive most in this environment.

• Not properly drying the feet before wearing shoes or socks.

• Sweat coming out from the feet occasionally can make the feet itch.

• Improper hygiene can also cause it.

• Abrasion of the feet caused by the shoe or poorly fitted socks.

• Wearing of shoes or socks for a prolong time.

Other causes of itchy feet include the following:
Dry feet
Contact dermatitis
Insect bite
Hook worm
Hives
Athlete's foot
Ring worm
Scabies
Tick bite
Flee bite
Eczema

How to Prevent Itchy Feet

What causes itchy feet are things ordinary would have been prevented. Here is how you can prevent itchy feet.

• Observe proper hygiene.

• Always dry your feet especially before putting on socks and shoes. You are also to dry the spaces between your toes especially toes that are very close together.

• Your shoes should be clean and comfortable with the right fittings.

• If you are  diabetic patient you can prevent itchy feet by avoiding eating food with too much sugar content.

• If you are the sweaty feet type, you can use dusting powder to reduce sweat on your feet before putting on socks/shoes.

• Put on shoes that allows ventilation of the feet. This will prevent the feet from getting warm and damp due to sweat which can aid the growth of fungus.

Treatment for Itchy Feet

If you are already infected with itchy feet or want to know how you can treat itchy feet; Here is how to go about it.

• The use of anti-fugal creams especially those designed for itchy feet. There are a range of anti-fugal creams available in the market. They are effective in getting rid of the condition.

• When you have itchy feet, you have that urge to scratch. To stop the disease from spreading to other parts of the leg, you must resist or avoid the urge to scratch the area.

• You can use powder on your feet before wearing socks. Use powder that are anti-fugal and anti-bacteria.

During curse of treatment, put on shoes that allows for ventilation. This is to quicken the healing process and to prevent the disease from spreading to other parts of the feet.

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Trapping Mosquitoes With Smelly Feet

Every year thousands of people die from mosquito bite especially bites from malaria carrying mosquitoes. Most of these deaths occur in sub-Sahara Africa and children below the age of five are the worst hit!
There is a discovery that will be useful in reducing the spread of malaria by eliminating malaria carrying mosquitoes.
This is being made possible by scientist in Tanzania. These scientists have developed a trap that would help to get rid of mosquitoes after studying their magnet or attractiveness to smelly socks.
It is predicted that the trap when completely develop will aid the reduction in the spread of malaria. This is because, the trap when fully developed is expected to attract up to four times as many mosquitoes compared to human. When the mosquitoes finally enter the trap, they would be killed by insecticide which will be fixed in the trap.
It is expected that the trap could help to reduce the spread of malaria which is transmitted by mosquitoes. And this will be massive in areas where there are lots and lots of mosquitoes such as the tropical regions of the world, such as Africa.
For them to successfully carry out their research, volunteers were asked to present their socks which they had worn on for not less than ten hours.
The donated socks are put inside a box made of wood outside close to where people resides.
The mosquitoes who will be attracted to the smell emanating from the socks will enter the wooden box in their attempt to get closer to the smell. When they succeeded in entering the box, they will be killed right away by the insecticide lurking in the box.
The scientist leading this research is Dr. Fredros Okumu and the research is being done in south east Tanzania.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Grant Challenge Canada at the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania funded the project.

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Athletes Foot - Symptoms, Causes, Prevention And Treatment

Athletes foot which is also known as Tinea pedis is a common fungal infection that affects the feet. It is a contagious infection that develops between the toes. Despite the fact that it affects people who play sports more because of the environment where they are found, it can affect just anybody. Athlete foot is not peculiar or restricted to athlete, it infect them more because they stays more in an environment that is favorable to the fungal that causes athletes foot. The fungus grows in an environment that is warm and humid. It is spread by direct contact with contaminated surfaces. In other words you get infected when you have an encounter with the fungus that causes athlete foot.

Athletes Foot Symptoms
The symptoms of athletes foot are often visible in the spaces between the toes. Some of the common symptoms of athletes foot include the development of rash in the skin between your toes which may cause the toes to become itchy, red, burning, blister, cracked, etc

Causes of Athlete's Foot
Athletes foot is caused when one has direct contact with the fungus that causes athletes foot. The following favors the development of athletes foot on the skin.

• Walking on a contaminated floor such as public shower and toilet, gym, etc.

• Sharing of shoes that have been contaminated.


• Putting on shoes that are poorly ventilated for a long time.

Prevention of Athlete's Foot
The following will help to prevent athletes foot.

• Don’t walk on bare foot especially in public places or when using public facilities, as the floor may be contaminated.


• Do not share towel especially a public one as it may have athletes foot fungus on it. They strive in a damp environment.

• Always dry your feet, especially areas between your toes after bathing or showering.

• Wash your feet with soap and water when you dip your leg in water especially in public places.

• Avoid sharing shoes, slippers or any other footwear as you may be wearing shoes that have athletes foot fungus on it.

• Change shoes often. Wearing the same pair of shoes day in day out may cause athlete foot to develop quickly on your feet.

• Purchase shoes that are conducive for the ventilation of the feet. You can sometimes wear sandals especially in warm weather.

• Always choose socks that can absorb water and when your socks is wet, make sure they are dry before putting them on.

• If you are the sweaty type, you can use foot powder or dusting powder on the feet before wearing shoes to absorb moisture on the feet.

Athletes Foot Treatment
Athletes foot can be treated. Anti-fungal medications such as antibiotics are very useful in the treatment of athletes foot. It is very important to complete treatment even when the skin appeared to have been healed this is to prevent re-infection.
However, for quick result, it is advisable to observe the above preventive measure as it can also be helpful in the treatment of athletes foot.

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