Your feet are amazing!
They hold you up and get you where you’re going – you can walk, run, dance, and do just about any sport, all because of your wonderful feet.
Feet can take a lot of pounding, but are often overlooked in life’s day-to-day activities. The kind of shoes you wear, how you walk, and even what you eat can take a toll on your feet. So can ignoring foot pain and discomfort, which can lead to more serious problems.
Taking good care of your feet will keep you on the move, doing what you want to do. So keep them healthy by identifying and correcting common foot problems.
Here are 6 treatable foot conditions you don’t want to ignore:
BLISTERS
Blisters can occur if your shoes don’t fit well and rub in the wrong places. They form from skin rubbed enough to strip away the top layer of the skin. It fills with fluid and can be painful when walking. Don’t pick at them. Clean the area, sterilize a needle and prick the blister open near its underside. Then drain it and treat it with an antibiotic ointment, or aloe leaf or gel (which is antibacterial) and a bandage. Wear socks or different shoes to prevent friction and new blisters.
ATHLETE'S FOOT
Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection, usually between the toes, that’s caused by damp, sweaty socks and shoes, showers, and too-moist environments. It itches, burns, and manifests in scales, blisters or peeling. It's important to keep feet clean and dry, and to change your socks and shoes regularly. Anti-fungal creams and medicines can be used to treat athlete’s foot.
TOENAIL FUNGUS
It sure isn’t pretty! Toenail fungus can alter the color of your toenails and deform them. Swimming pools, locker rooms and wet places are prime suspects in getting this fungus.
Keeping your feet dry as well as anti-fungal creams and medicines can help address this.
BUNIONS
A bunion is a crooked, swollen, sore bump that sticks out on the joint between the big toe and foot. The more it sticks out, the more painful it can be when confined in a shoe. Bunions can be caused by shoes that are too tight or narrow in the toe section. High heels are often a culprit. Try changing the type of shoes you wear, or putting protective pads inside your shoes. If these don’t work, surgery may be necessary to get rid of the bunion and correct the alignment of the big toe.
CORNS AND CALLUSES
Corns and calluses are hard, rough, thick, raised patches of dead skin that form after repeated rubbing against an area of the foot. Calluses develop on the bottom of the feet, especially under the heels, balls, or sides of toes. These patches form to protect the foot from constant friction from tight or ill-fitting shoes. Soaking can help soften these areas and you can put moleskin or padding around corns and calluses for pain relief. A podiastrist can shave away the dead skin, or you can try Beauti Me’s Electronic Callus Remover to get rid of the calluses.
INGROWN TOENAILS
An ingrown toenail is when the nail grows right into the skin on the side of the toe. Wearing shoes that are too tight or cutting toenails too short can cause this, as well as a fungus infection, shoe pressure and even poor foot structure. Ingrown toenails can become sore, swollen and infected. To avoid ingrown toenails, when you cut them use larger toenail clippers, clip them straight across and don’t cut the nails too short. To heal them, soak your foot in warm water several times a day and wear comfortable shoes. If the problem doesn't improve, a doctor can surgically remove the ingrown toenail.
Here’s to happy, healthy feet!
