If you’ve hardly seen your feet in recent months because they’ve been firmly lodged in socks and shoes, you could be in for a surprise… an unpleasant one. Without proper attention, foot problems can creep up on you. Family Health Diary reports...

With summer comes the dubious pleasure of airing our feet, along with a sudden and urgent interest in what’s going on down there.

Ill-fitting shoes, poorly-aligned feet, high-impact exercise and certain medical conditions can all cause foot problems to occur. But while they get your attention in summer, your feet could do with ongoing care all year-round – after all they’re what you live your life on.

COMMON PROBLEMS TO AVOID
Cracked heels
There are about 250,000 sweat glands in a pair of feet which typically excrete around a cup of moisture a day. This significant loss of fluid means the skin on your feet can easily dry out and crack, especially around the heels and sides of the feet.

If the cracks are deep the skin can bleed easily and infection can develop.
Cracked heels are more common in summer and can cause pain when walking.
There are a variety of rough skin treatments including softening lotions and balms, special plasters and files that can be used to soften and/or remove rough skin.

Ingrown toenails
Ingrown toenails occur when a piece of nail grows into the skin at the side of a toenail, most commonly the big toe. The area can become red, swollen and painful. Infection is possible.

Incorrect nail-cutting can contribute to the cause of ingrown toenails. You should trim toenails straight across, and not too short; don’t cut out or dig at corners.
Poor-fitting shoes or injury to a toenail are other common causes.
Treatment by a podiatrist or doctor may be needed to remove the ingrowing nail under local anaesthetic – this is known as a wedge resection.

Corns and calluses
Corns and calluses are caused by friction and pressure when parts of the feet rub against shoes. This tends to happen as our feet age and change in shape.
Corns typically have a central core with distinct edges and occur on the tops of the toes. They are usually shiny, dry and hard.

Calluses do not have a central core and have indefinite borders. They usually occur on weight-bearing areas such as the sides and soles of the feet.
There are a range of products such as foam, felt or gel pads, toe props and separators that can be used to ease the discomfort of corns and callouses, whilst medicated pads can be used to help remove them.

Bunions
When a person has a bunion, their big toe leans towards their other toes causing a bump around the big toe joint that may become red, swollen and painful.
Some people are more prone to developing bunions than other people; the underlying cause is a fault in the way the big toe joint works which is usually inherited.

Wearing shoes that cause the toes to be crowded such as narrow-toed shoes or shoes with high heels can increase the risk of bunions.

The first line of treatment is aimed at reducing the pain rather than correcting the deformity. Wearing shoes with a wide toe box, using pads to cushion the bunion and/or taping a foot may all be helpful. Sometimes surgery is necessary to remove the bump and correct the alignment of the joint.

GOOD FOOTCARE PRACTICE

• Keep your feet clean and dry, rinsing off all soap especially between the toes (to help keep fungal infections at bay)
• Choose proper-fitting, comfortable shoes to protect your feet
• Change your footwear often
• Put your feet up when sitting down – this helps to keep blood moving to your feet
• Check your feet often for injuries or problems
• Ask a health professional if you suspect a problem.

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