Foot Health and Care

Hygiene and Exercise
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

(Page 2 of 5)

Foot Hygiene

The foot has more than 250,000 sweat glands. It's the mixture of sweat and bacteria in our shoes and socks that makes feet smelly. "Clean, dry feet can lower the risk of both foot odor and fungus infections," says Kaye.

Feet should be washed every day with soap and lukewarm water, especially between the toes, and then dried completely with a soft towel. Any mild soap or antibacterial hand soap works fine.

"People spend a lot of time shampooing and conditioning their hair and applying soaps and lotions to their body, but then probably don't spend 10 seconds washing their feet," Kaye says. "Washing the feet with a wash cloth or similarly abrasive product is important because it helps remove the dead skin, bacteria, and fungus." For patients who can't reach their feet during a shower because of obesity, arthritis, or instability, Kaye recommends using a long-handle brush like a shower back brush.

People who want to soak their feet should use warm, soapy water, Kaye says. "Soaking feet in Epsom salt can cause excessive drying of skin," he says. "This is an important consideration for diabetics or with those who have existing dry or fragile skin. Consider soaking feet in warm water with a small amount of liquid dishwashing solution that has skin softeners. There is no benefit in soaking feet in Epsom salt compared to regular table salt."

Some people tell Kaye they soaked their feet in very hot water because they were trying to kill bacteria. He says, "Unfortunately, that type of home treatment often results in skin burns. If someone is diabetic or has poor circulation, hot water bottles or heating pads also shouldn't be used on the feet."

Applying moisturizing lotion on the feet after bathing can alleviate dry skin. "During dry winter months, apply a small amount of lotion a few times per day," Kaye says. "Inexpensive generic creams are usually equally effective as expensive brand-name products."

Kaye estimates that half of the ingrown toenails he treats are due to improper nail clipping. "Toenails should be trimmed straight across and not too short," he says. "Many people incorrectly cut the corners, leaving a small point of nail that then grows into the skin or they accidentally cut the skin."

People who pamper themselves with a salon pedicure also need to make sure that proper cutting and safety measures are followed. In the last few years, there have been reports of infections linked to nail salon whirlpool footbaths that hadn't been properly cleaned or disinfected.

Andersen suggests that people check to see that salons and their employees are licensed. "You could ask how they clean their tubs and instruments and how often," she says. "Some people bring their own instruments." People with diabetes should exercise caution when having salon treatments, and may be advised by their physicians to avoid treatments by anyone other than a trained podiatric or medical specialist.

Exercise Right

Wearing inadequate and worn-out shoes is a common mistake for athletes, says James Losito, D.P.M., team podiatrist for the Miami Heat basketball team and professor of podiatric biomechanics at Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla.

"Running shoes should be discarded after 200 miles to 400 miles of use and they should fit correctly," Losito says. "There should be a thumb-width of length between the longest toe and the end of a shoe. Failure to wear the correct shoe size can result in runner's toe, calluses, ingrown nails, fungal nail infections, and hammertoe deformities."

People also should purchase the right shoe for the sport. "Many injuries occur because someone is wearing a running shoe while playing basketball," Losito says.

Another common cause of athletic injuries is doing too much too soon. "Both overuse training habits and worn-out shoes could result in stress fractures, heel pain or heel spur or shin splints," he says. "It is important to start out slowly and increase distance, duration, and pace gradually. For runners, I recommend no more than a 10 percent increase per week."

Walking or jumping on hard surfaces and failing to stretch and do warm-ups may also cause shin splints, plantar fasciitis, and heel spurs. Losito says, "There is no solid evidence to confirm that stretching actually decreases the likelihood of injuries, but it makes sense to maintain flexibility through gentle stretching, especially following exercise."

According to the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, the most common pain associated with jogging is runner's knee, which can be caused by rolling in or down on the foot. With aerobics, rising on the toes can cause an inflamed Achilles tendon. Stress fractures can be caused by running and other repetitive strain. Sharp pain, bruising, or swelling after a foot injury warrants medical attention. Contrary to popular belief, it's possible to walk, even if a foot bone is broken.

About the Author

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