Foot Care must form a mainstay of our daily routine .Years of wear & tear can be hard on our feet. Ill fitting shoes, poor circulation, improperly trimmed toe nails could add to the agony.
Common Foot Problems:
Fungal & Bacterial infections: This could occur due to long hours of footwear. Sweat & humidity form a good culture medium for fungi & for the bacterial flora, thus leading to infections. This could result in maceration, malodorous feet, scaling, fissuring, cracks & itching. It is important to keep your feet dry. To prevent infections, always use a dusting powder such as Mycoderm or Clotrimazole dusting powder before wearing shoes, especially if you have to wear shoes for long hours. If you have an infection, please visit your dermatologist.
Cracks: Cracks may be hereditary or may occur in those who are in contact with water & soap for long hours. They occur more commonly in winter. Wash your feet with lukewarm water & mild soap. Apply a moisturizing lotion on a moist skin surface. Before going to bed at night, immerse your feet in warm water for about 10 mins. One may add a pinch of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide to the water. Use a foot scraper to scrape off the dead skin. Pat your feet with a clean towel & then apply a moisturizing lotion such as nivea body lotion or cocoa butter. This will prevent cracks in your feet. For cracks which don’t respond to the above, one may have to use a urea & salicylic acid based cream.
Footwear Dermatitis: This may occur as a result of allergy to rubber, adhesives, dichromates in leather, felts, dyes, cork liners used in the process of shoe making.
Wear cotton socks & canvas shoes if you are allergic to any kind of footwear, lest you develop long standing foot eczemas.
Corns & calluses: are caused by friction & pressure where bony parts of your feet rub against your shoes. Shoes that fit well or special padded shoes may solve the problem.
If persistent, please visit a doctor.
Warts: Often mistaken as corns, these are skin growths caused by viruses. They may be painful at times. If left untreated, they may spread. Warts should be burnt with a radiocautery or electrocautery machine or frozen with liquid nitrogen. This is best done by dermatologist.
Ingrown toe nails:These occur commonly in the big toe when a piece of nail breaks the skin. This happens if nails are not cut properly. It is advisable not to trim nails too deep.
Ingrown nails have to be treated surgically.
To sum it up, keep your feet & nails clean. Do a pedicure at home at least once a week.A normal pedicure involves soaking feet in warm water for 10 –15 mins, scrubbing with a mild soap, scraping to remove the dead skin & cleaning of nails. Nails should be trimmed & filed. Do not remove the cuticle of the nail in the process of pedicure. This can cause fungal or bacterial infections of the nail. After washing, apply a moisturizing cream on a slightly moist surface. Wear proper fitting shoes & avoid regular use of high heels. A little foot care can help you prevent a lot of foot problems.