With the arrival of summer, our feet are freed from closed shoes. They come out in public view, they breathe more easily in sandals, sandals, flip-flops.
However, if we neglect their care, their image will also be damaged. Hot weather, sunshine, open shoes make the lower limbs suffer.
But what are the most common problems that feet face in summer?
- Blisters: heat, sweat and friction are the main reasons why a blister forms. The outer skin loosens, fills with fluid and detaches from the lower layers. The open wound is exposed to dust and germs with an immediate risk of infection. The pain is often so intense that it prevents us from taking a step. To treat them, it would be good not to break them, because the pain will be more intense and the possibility of infection greater. Keep the area protected with special pads until the liquid is absorbed.
- Calluses or calluses: is the surface of the skin that has hardened due to repeated pressure. Calluses usually appear on the fingers, while calluses appear on the soles of the feet. The type of shoes we wear is to blame for this. It would also be good to do it once a week peeling with pumice stone to free the skin from dead cells.
- Dry skin: in the summer, due to the use of open shoes and the heat combined with the reduced hydration of the feet, the skin becomes drier. Dry skin is also due to a genetic predisposition or even due to increasing age. This results in cracked areas around the heels and also around the toes. To prevent dryness, moisturize your feet every night before bed, avoid using soap in the shower and choose bubble baths with ph for dehydrated skin.
- Fungi: if you walk barefoot on the beaches, you belong to the high risk group. Mycosis is at its peak in the summer months. The symptoms are bad breath, itching combined with pain between the fingers. Finally, in an advanced stage, wounds and deformities appear on the nails. To avoid these problems, it would be good to wipe your feet thoroughly between the toes, avoid closed shoes, and always wear flip flops in areas around swimming pools. Stagnant water is the most dangerous for catching fungi.
- Swelling: in the summer months, the feet swell very easily, due to the increase in temperature. Blood vessels dilate due to heat in order to restore normal body temperature. It manifests itself more when we sit or when we stand for a long time.
Ways of dealing with:
No prolonged exposure to the sun, better to prefer the shade.
Stay alert.
Avoid salt.
Eat healthy.
Place your feet up.
Massage gently.
However, in order to provide a complete care of the lower limbs, beyond the aesthetic part, after the summer holidays, we must make sure to check whether we are "stepping properly and firmly on our feet". What I mean by this: a very important foot health test is the foot exam. This simple, quick and painless examination will show the distribution of pressure on our feet. Conclusions will be drawn about the mechanics of our feet. The evaluation of the foot chart by the specialist will lead us to the manufacture of orthotic insoles, which will solve walking problems (flatfoot, clubfoot, metatarsal drop), as well as pain in the knees, waist and hips.
Emmanuel A. Arvanitakis, Podiatrist - Podiatrist
