You're hard on your feet,
likely taking at least 8,000 steps a day. And let's be honest, how much TLC do
you really give them except for an occasional pedicure? It's time to start
paying more attention. Begin here: We asked podiatrists what you can do to keep
your feet in top condition. Consider their advice a step in the right
direction.
Don't
go barefoot in a public shower.
You've heard it before,
but it's worth repeating: Gym showers and locker-room floors are a big-time
breeding ground for the fungus that causes athlete's foot, so be
sure to wear flip flops or water shoes, says Casey Ann Pidich, DPM, an
associate at Big Apple Foot & Ankle Care in New York City. Take extra care
drying your feet too, working the towel in between your toes. By the same
token, if you book a pedicure grab the first appointment of the day when the
tubs are likely to be the cleanest.
Your feet
can clue you in to your overall health.
For example, if the hair on
your toes suddenly disappears and the skin on your feet gets thinner or shiner,
peripheral arterial disease (PAD)—poor circulation caused by a buildup of
plaque in the leg arteries—may be to blame, says Amanda Meszaros, DPM, a
podiatrist in Oberlin, OH. PAD is a major red flag for heart problems or a
stroke since clogged arteries in the legs are usually associated with blockages
elsewhere in the body.
Also look out for extremely dry skin and foot ulcers that don't
heal; they may be triggered by undiagnosed diabetes since high blood glucose
levels decrease sweat and oil production, points out Meszaros.
Pointy
pumps are the worst.
Shoes that push the big toe into smaller toes set you up for
bunions, bumps that form over the bone at the base of the big toe, says Pidich.
The skin overlying the bunion may become red, irritated, and swollen, making
walking painful. Your ideal high heels: ones with a wide toe box and
heels under two inches.
If your second toe is longer
than your first toe (that's the case for an estimated 20 to 30% of Americans),
you're at increased risk for bunions, hammer toes (ones that are bent
downward), and even back problems due to how you distribute pressure throughout
your body, says Robert F. Weiss, DPM, director of the Foot & Ankle
Institute at Stamford Hospital in Connecticut.
"All
the weight should push off your first toe, but when the second one is longer,
it rolls and flattens, causing all kind of foot problems," he explains. If
you do have this condition (called Morton's Toe), talk to your podiatrist about
the best kind of footwear for the shape of your feet, since ill-fitting shoes make
the condition worse.
Toenail
fungus is so stubborn.
If your toenails have
started to discolor or are becoming thicker and more brittle, chances are
fungus is to blame. "While nails clear up in time by taking antifungal
pills, your risk of a reoccurrence is high so I recommend a topical
cream to help prevent
it," says Timothy Swartz, DPM, chief of podiatry of Kaiser Permanente
Mid-Atlantic region.
Keeping your foot dry—and changing out of sweaty socks—can help
prevent the fungus, which thrives in warm, moist environments and can invade
your skin through tiny cuts or the small separation between the nail and nail
bed, from rearing its ugly head in the first place.
It's
not your imagination: your feet really are getting bigger.
Even if you didn't put on
weight, chances are you went up at least a half-size in the last decade. Feet
become both longer and wider as you age because the tendons and ligaments that
link tiny bones lose elasticity. Get your feet measured at least once a year so
you know your true size, suggests Dr. Swartz.
Wearing shoes that don't fit properly can cause more than
discomfort—it can create or accelerate a bunion or cause blisters, among other
issues.
Diabetics
need to take special care of their feet.
If you have diabetes, check your feet
daily for blisters, cuts, redness, and ulcers. If wounds are neglected you
might get an infection, which could lead to serious consequences, including
amputation. It's not rare: Every year, more than 70,000 Americans with diabetes
lose a foot. "Diabetics who lose a foot have a 50 percent chance of dying
within five years," warns Bradley A. Levitt, DPM, a podiatrist in Virginia
Beach.
If
you keep spraining your ankle, you're not a klutz
Some people are just
genetically pre-disposed to weak ankles, says Dr. Swartz. Strengthen your
injury-prone ankles with these 3 moves.
You might not be lacing your sneakers right.
If you have high arches and get redness and pain on the top of
your feet, skip the 2 middle holes in your lacing and loop them vertically on
the sides of your shoes instead, suggests podiatrists at The Center for
Podiatric Care and Sports Medicine in New York City. You'll lose a little
stability but what you gain in comfort will make it worthwhile.
Use
deodorant down there.
Yep, the same kind of roll-on that you apply to your armpits can help
prevent the foul smells caused by the sweat glands in your feet.
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