Foot problems and their remedies

Foot Problems & Their Remedies

Foot Problems & Their Remedies. Do you know it is estimated that you are more likely to walk around 70,000 miles by the age of 50. Being an evolutionary marvel, your feet experience a lot of wear and tear throughout life which attracts so many foot problems. Keep reading to find out how to identify and treat common foot problems.

Your foot comprises of 33 joints, 26 bones, more than 100 muscles, tendons, ligaments which keeps your weight in motion. One more interesting fact about human foot is that they have more sweat glands than any other part of your body.

Being an integral part, your feet carry higher risk of injury than any other body part. Many common foot problems like blisters, corns, bunions, hammertoes etc; You might get these foot problems due to the the selection of wrong shoes, negligence, wear & tear.

Pain in your feet could also be the sign of a systematic problem like Gout that hits your joints first.

So here is the list of some common foot problems and how can you identify and treat them.

Athlete’s Foot

A fungus that develops in a moist, dark warm environment causes

Athlete’s foot. It affects the gap between finger and bottoms of the feet. White Scaly rash, inflamed skin & red base are the common signs of the athlete’s foot.  Itching and burning is common in Athlete’s foot. It is also known as tinea pedis. While sometimes you may feel a slight odor.

One can reduce down the risk of tinea pedis by keeping the feet dry and clean. Changing shoes and especially the socks regularly and never walking barefoot in public locker rooms & showers could help a lot.

You can also use antifungal creams, sprays, powder to treat athlete’s foot. You can also use the spray and powder inside your shoes to destroy any lingering fungus.

If the above said remedies don’t work, you may need to see a doctor. If untreated, the infection can migrate to other parts of the body. This could transmit to other people through shared towels, gym mats, shared floors etc;

Hammertoes

You may have hammertoes, if your second, third or fourth toe is crossed and bent in the middle of the joint, or pointing at an odd angle. The main thing responsible for the formation of hammertoe is the ill-fitting shoes.

In addition to that, there are more likely chances of getting corns and calluses caused by the pressing of hammertoes inside the shoes.

Wearing roomier and more comfortable shoes with inserts or foot pads is advisable by doctors for those whose toe is still flexible.

While if the toe becomes fixed in bent position, than you may need surgery.

Blisters

The soft pockets of raised skin filled with clear fluid that can burst easily on a rub and are found on your feet are called blisters. The main cause of blisters to appear is the friction between the skin of the foot and the inside of your shoes. This is why having a good pair of shoe is really important.

If blisters develop, it is best to not burst them and let them break on their, even, if you face problem while walking. Simply cover it with a bandage and let it burst naturally.

If the blister bursts, apply an antibiotic ointment with a bandage to prevent infection and to heal.

 You can prevent blisters by wearing comfortable size shoes with socks.

People with diabetes need to be more precautious as they are more prone to infection. In this case or some other health condition where a person is more prone to infection, should consult a doctor before treating on their own.

Bunions

You might have noticed some people with a bony bump at the base of the big-toe joint. This is called as bunion. This change also turn the big toe to turn inward, towards smaller toes.

Arthitis, congenital deformities, heredity or wearing shoes that are too narrow in the toe are the most possible reasons of bunion. The condition of bunion could be more severe with women wearing high heels and constrictive shoes.

To treat bunion doctors advise to wear wider shoes, padded shoe inserts and pain relievers. If these methods don’t work then surgery may be recommended to bring back the big toe to its normal position.

Corns and Calluses

Corns and calluses form after rubbing against a bony area of the foot repeatedly. The reason that doctors give usually is by the shoes that don’t fit well.

Corns can develop on the tops and sides of your toes as well as between your toes, while calluses appear on the bottoms of the feet. It can be really painful and hard to walk on carrying these compressed patches of dead skin cells.

One can treat corns and calluses at home. Soak the affected area in warm water and let the skin soften. You can use wet pumice stone or emery board to remove the dead skin. Do it gently as removing too much skin is not at all advisable, as it could lead to pain by bleeding and may also cause the infection.

you can put moisturizing cream or lotion over corns and calluses and surrounding skin to soften the skin over time.

For those whom the above said treatment does not work, Placing moleskin or padding around corns and calluses. This is recommended by podiatrist  to relieve pain.

Plantar Fasciitis

A common foot problem among runners and other athletes of all levels, plantar fasciitis comes with pain and stiffness in the foot  with no visual signs or symptoms. In this foot problem, the “fascia”ligament that connect the ball of the foot to the heel becomes inflamed or even torn due to the overuse injury.

You can reduce the tightness in the mid part of the foot by the physical therapy. To relieve pain, podiatrist advise cold compress with the recommendation of wearing a splint at night to stretch the foot. Very few percentage of people require surgery to cure. This is mainly treated by the stretching exercises.

Ingrown Toenails

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Ingrown toenail is a foot problem caused by the shoes that are mainly short. The shoe press your toes together in a manner that it curves your toenails.

To prevent ingrown toenails, do proper toenail clipping. If the corners are left improperly, that can dig into your skin, causing pain & infection.

To cure an ingrown toenail, you can go for soaking your toe in warm water for 10-15 minutes. You can do this 3-4 times a day. You can also put a small part of dental floss or cotton under the ingrown edge of the nail. This will let your nail grow away from the skin.

If this doesn’t help you or having diabetes, you should see a doctor, who can inspect it and either remove the ingrown nail or lift it up as per the condition.

Claw Toes and Mallet Toes

From the picture you can see how a person’s foot look with a claw toe.It curls upwards at the joint, making the toe look curved. People with claw toes are more prone to corns and calluses.

Due to the tight shoes clawtoe develops in a person’s foot. Another reason is damaged nerve, caused by the diabetes or other conditions resulting into weakening of foot muscles.

Gout

Usually starts with big toe joint, gout is a type of arthiritis responsible for hot, red, swollen joints. These are more painful painful at touch.

Gout is formed by a buildup of uric acid in joint tissues and joint fluid. This happens when the body fails to keep uric acid levels in control.

Uric acid crystallizes with temperature changes, and the toes are the body’s coolest parts, this is why gout starts from the big toe joint.

You can help reduce your risk of gout attacks by making changes to your diet. This involves cutting down the foods that lead to a rise in uric acid. Some of the foods that rise uric acid are like red meat, seafood, pulses and alcohol, particularly beer.

Body weight also plays an important role in preventing from gout attacks.

Drink water and stay in bed if you are in the midst of a of a gout attack. On frequent attacks, you can consult a rheumatologist to manage the condition.

To relieve pain and to control the production of body’s uric acid level doctor give medication.

Toenail Fungus

A foot problem caused by the fungus, that forms after damage to the nail. A deformed and unattractive nails can be seen once the fungus hits the toenail. This does not stop just here, it can also spread to other nails.

The possible reasons for toenail fungus are ill-fiting shoes, overstress caused by hiking or running resulting in pressed or lift nails . Another reason can be after a pedicure.

Protein in the nail bed attracts the fungus towards it. The best place for fungus are your feet which lies down inside your shoes most of the day. As fungus develops in a moist, dark and warm environment.

Fungus comes back often times, even after complete treatment. Anti-fungal medication described by the doctors sometimes becomes necessary part in completing the curing process.

sesamoiditis

Sesamoiditis is a type of inflammation in the sesamoids bones of the foot. In this tendons connect to help bend your big toe. It develops when the sesamoids are injured or inflamed. This is often in particular sports activities like ballet or playing catcher in baseball.

To treat sesamoiditis you can rest you feet by using ice or heat. You can also use compression bandage to support the feet. You may also take Pain relievers to reduce down the pain.

Stone bruise/ Metatarsalgia

Stone bruise or metatarsalgia is a condition in which the area between your toes and arch may feel sharp pain, feel numb or tingly or may even feel like you have pebble in your shoe. Metatarsalgia increases over time.

This condition is caused by poor-fitting shoes, hardcore exercises etc;

To treat stone bruise you may find comfortable fitting shoes. Rest your feet by applying ice to them, you can also use pain relievers to reduce down the pain.

Consult a podiatrist if the pain rise.

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