HEALTH/MONSOON SPECIAL...Happy feet!

Happy feet!

Keep fungal infections at bay this monsoon.

    The rains don’t just bring respite from the scorching heat — they also bring with them the hassle of trudging through floods and walking on filthy pavements. With your feet bearing the real brunt of monsoon, it’s time to take extra care of them this rainy season. Cosmetologist Dr Jamuna Pai says that our feet are the most care worn part of the body, especially in the rains. “Give your feet the attention they deserve. Monsoons are characterised by humid, wet and sticky climate, and this translates to sweaty feet, wet sticky shoes, fungal infections, athlete’s foot and other diseases. The roads are full of dirty water and muck, which enters foot wear. To make things worse, we wear the wet and dirty shoes in office for hours, and return home with swollen, unclean and smelly feet. Fungal infections are the most common monsoon skin-problems.”
    Health expert Dr Parul Sheth says that one of the best ways to avoid fungal infections in monsoon is to keep your feet dirt-free. “Wet socks and wet feet can aggravate fungal infections especially in diabetics. Pre-existing fissures, nicks or abrasions on soles on contact with dirty water can get infected and cause severe pain. You may even be prone to leptospirosis if you happen to walk bare feet in dirty water puddles,” says Dr Sheth.
    Skin, aesthetic and laser consultant Dr Vrushali Rane Khan says, “Most of us start following a regimen for the skin and hair but tend to ignore the feet.”
COMMON FEET PROBLEMS
Continued exposure to water makes feet soggy and vulnerable to cracks and infections. Malodorous feet are a result of continued use of wet footwear and bacterial overgrowth in the footwear or the feet. Moisture is a fertile ground for bacterial infections like painful swelling of nail
    folds. Fungus multiplies quickly in moist environments and is very resistant to treatment. People, who have a habit of walking bare foot, have increased chances of getting warts on their feet. Skin that is constantly soggy can lose its protective layer leading to allergies.
DO’S
    Foot cleansing: Wash your foot every time you come from outside with a liquid wash. Ensure you dry your feet completely before wearing new footwear or socks.
    After cleansing foot care: The most important thing in foot care is to understand that different areas of your feet require different care. The heel is generally cracked and needs to be scrubbed with a pumice stone or a scrub to remove dead cells followed by applying a moisturising cream. The space between toes has to be cleaned, dried and sprayed with powder, preferably an anti-fungal powder. Avoid using moisturising cream or scrubs in this region since it can cause breaks in the soft skin between toewebs and fungus can grow.
    Toenail care: Keep your toenails trimmed so that less dirt accumulates underneath the nails and cleaning feet becomes easier.
    Choose the right footwear: Don’t wear closed shoes as they hold water thereby making the feet sodden. Opt for water proof open strapped footwear.
    Dry footwear: Ensure your footwear is dry before you wear it the next day. Don’t keep your shoes and sandals under the bed or inside the shoe rack when it is wet. Let it be in the open or better still in the sun to keep away the bacteria from breeding in your shoes.It is wise to have two sets of footwear, one for travel in the rains and the other for use at workplace.
DON’TS
Avoid spa treatments because during monsoon it becomes difficult to maintain hygiene even in the best centres. If you opt to go to a centre for a pedicure, ensure that the instruments used are sterilised and cleansed with disinfectants. Never
remove the cuticle of the nail since it keeps infection out. Avoid fish pedicures since the contact time with water is long and it is not humanely possible to change or disinfect the water completely. Don’t go overboard with scrubbing your feet since it might cause injury to your skin.

TREATMENT
Topical anti-fungal medications are good for fungal infections. Bacterial infections can be treated with oral antibiotics. Sprinkle some baking powder inside your shoes to get rid of smelly feet.

    TAKE CARE

• Pour some antiseptic in your bath water. Opt for anti-fungal soaps and talcum powder.
• Wear only cotton socks and alternate your shoes.
• Dry your feet thoroughly — moisture leads to infection.
• Cut your toenails frequently.
• Use a foot scrubber or a pumice stone to remove dead skin.
• Feet do not have any oil or sebaceous glands, hence it is advisable to apply moisturisers containing urea and lactic acid each time you wash them.
• Apply olive or almond oil to your feet before going to bed.

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