Neglecting your foot health can prove to be very harmful and can even lead to more serious problems. Everyone faces foot-related issues at some point in their lives, and dealing with these issues properly is of utmost importance if one wants to avoid pain and possibly, disease. Therefore, we have compiled a comprehensive list of ways for you to take care of your feet and keep them healthy.
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1. Wear the Right Shoes
Some people have one foot that’s slightly larger than the other and if this is the case for you, make sure to get shoes that fit the larger foot. When buying shoes, you should make sure that the balls of your feet fit comfortably in the wide parts of the shoes, and your toes don’t touch the tops of the shoes. Your longest toe should have at least half an inch of free space from the front of your shoe, and your feet shouldn’t rub or slip in the shoes when you walk.
Another important thing to keep in mind is to wear the right kind of footwear for different activities. For example, you shouldn’t wear the shoes you wear casually for running or hiking. You should also check your shoes periodically for wear and tear and get them repaired or replaced, depending on their condition.
2. Maintain Foot Hygiene
It’s also imperative to keep your feet clean and dry. Ideally, you should wash your feet several times every day and avoid having excess moisture on your feet, whether caused by wearing shoes or just socks. To avoid calluses and corns on your feet, you must wear the right shoes and maintain good hygiene.
Occasionally using a pumice stone to remove dead skin from your feet is good practice, but we wouldn’t recommend the newest, trendiest foot peels or callus shavers because those can damage your feet. To keep foot odor and bacterial infections at bay, make sure to wash thoroughly between the toes and then take time to dry them.
3. Don’t Ignore Foot Pain
If your feet have been hurting for a considerable period of time, and the pain hasn’t resolved on its own, it’s best to see a doctor because your feet might need medical attention. Delaying it may only worsen the issue and make it harder to treat.
This pain could be because of developing hammertoes or bunions, both of which are often associated with wearing narrow shoes that are too small for your feet. These conditions are essentially a form of disfigurement and can eventually mess with your center of gravity, potentially stressing your knees and back. So, before something minor turns into something big, it’s best to get it checked out and fixed.
4. Caring for Your Toenails
The proper way to cut toenails is to cut straight across and file the edges if they are sharp. Rounding the nails by cutting corners makes room for ingrown toenails, which can be quite painful. It would be best if you also took care not to cut too close to the skin and keep some nail length intact.
If your toenails are discolored, crumbling, or cracked, you may be suffering from a fungal infection. Applying nail polish to such a nail may further worsen its condition so if this is the case, look for a solution by consulting your doctor instead of trying to hide it with nail polish.
5. Avoid Sharing Footwear
Wearing other people’s shoes or even socks can increase your chances of contracting fungal infections. The next time you go bowling and hand you those rentals, you should think twice about just putting them on. The easy solution here is to carry your own shoes for any activity you might be doing, not resort to wearing rentals. This also means that if you’re sharing spaces such as communal showers in the gym, be sure to wear your shower slippers because such places are often breeding grounds for fungi.
In fact, you shouldn’t even share your shoes with yourself every day, meaning that you should let your shoes dry completely before you put them on again the next day.
Make sure you follow these easy tips to keep your feet healthy. They are simple enough, but the results are great.
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