Struggling With Foot Odor
When foot odor is out of control, it can be both frustrating and embarrassing. For some, the problem with foot odor comes about with certain lifestyle changes (medication side effects or new shoes for work). For others, it’s something they deal with often so they have their tricks for keeping it under control.
Today, we share some of these tips and tricks in case this is a new issue for you and you can’t figure out what the problem is.
First, we need to discuss why it happens: the cause is usually bacterial or fungal growth on the feet or the smell of perspiration being amplified in an enclosed space. Bacteria love to grow in the moist, warm, and dark environment of your closed toed shoes. They also tend to grow more in certain materials, which may explain why you may have odor even on your sandals. This is more of a problem when you have a bacterial or fungal infection on your toes or feet and it transfers to the inside of your shoes. Finally, it can simply be an amplification of the natural odors your body releases, made worse by the combination of your natural body odors, sweat and the material of your shoes.
What you can do to keep odor at bay: good hygiene and air are your best friends.
Wash your feet each day. This may seem like an obvious thing for some, but others may not realize that they pay very little attention to their feet. If you are prone to sweating or smelly feet, change your socks often and NEVER re-wear used socks.
Rotate the shoes you wear. Yes, even sandals can start to smell, even though they are not closed-toed shoes. If you have odor, wipe down or spray shoes with antibacterial cleaners and let them air dry for at least a day. Wearing the same shoes two days or more can make it harder to fully dry out and to kill the bacteria or fungus that may be living in there.
Have a foot or toenail infection? Make sure you’re cleaning and treating the infection properly. Otherwise, the bacteria or fungi can transfer to your footwear.
Do you have extensive, long-term foot odor, or a foot infection? Get it treated sooner so that problems don’t worsen. Make an appointment with us at PerfectFeetCare Podiatry Centers. Our podiatrists will properly diagnose the issues and find the right treatment for you. Call us at our Miami, FL (305-225-4277) or Hialeah, FL (305-246-7437) offices today!
