Healthy Foot Care: How To Spot Problems Early

Posted by Reporter on Friday

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Let’s be honest here:  most of us invest 100 times the effort on caring for our hair  as we do for our feet. Yet without healthy feet to  carry  us to the world outside our homes , a silky smooth head of hair may not do anyone much good.

Your feet are among the most critically essential  parts of your body, and it pays well to take care of  them.

Unfortunately, most of us ignore our feet until we notice  a problem. Good  foot health practices should be  followed   regularly and often to prevent foot conditions that not only do not look appealing, but could be downright dangerous to our overall health . 

Imagine you’ve got corns or calluses, for example . They’re usually caused by the irritation that comes from bony parts of your feet rubbing up against your shoes. Usually this situation is more “ugly” than incapacitating .  You can avoid them by making   sure your shoes fit properly, or by using special pads to protect  potential  problem areas. A simple  non-prescription  product (pads, creams, etc.) can normally ease   the problem. If not, be sure  to consult with  your physician.

Hammertoes and bunions are sometimes  caused by wearing too-tight shoes that don’t give your feet  the “wiggle space”   they need to handle  daily pressure on the feet or pressure  between the shoe and the foot itself.

 For some people, the problems arise with  foot spurs. These are small calcium bumps that grow on the bones of your feet, and are also  a result of excessive foot pressure. If your job or personal practices call for  standing for extended periods, if your shoes don’t fit well , or in some cases if you’re overweight you weigh more than you should, you may develop these  frequently  painful spurs. Solutions include  foot supports, heel cups and pads, and sometimes, surgery.

At one time or another, you may find yourself suffering from a fungal infection. If you wear shoes most of the time, your sweating feet may lead to foot fungus or even toenail fungus.  Foot fungus itself is usually controlled easily by following these recommended steps:

1. Keep your feet as clean and as dry as possible. After showering, use a hair dryer to eliminate all moisture, especially around and in between your toes .
2. Change your shoes and socks a couple of times each day if your feet are damp after wearing socks for several hours. Carry a spare pair of high absorbant cotton socks in your purse or store them in your desk or locker.
3. Avoid tight shoes Never buy or wear shoes that are too tight . Minimize foot sweating —which fungus thrives on—try  going barefoot  as much as you can.
4. Use an over-the-counter foot powder or cream to get rid of the fungus, liberally applying the medication to your toe and heel areas.

If your problem is  toe nail fungus, (recognizable by cracked, brittle nails with a yellowish color, and nails that lift up off the nail bed exposing a smelly , damp substance under them), consult with  your physician for a suitable prescription. If that doesn’t work, try one of the excellent toenail fungus home remedies proven to work just as well—but without the high cost of the drug treatment .

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