Monday, July 27, 2009

Foot Health Advice To Prevent Foot Problems

By Allan Tan

Foot health advice can provide information to help people prevent, identify, or treat foot health problems. Buying shoes, routine foot care, foot health problem signs and symptoms, and advice for diabetic patients are examples of topics that are often covered by foot health advice.

Foot health advice for preventing foot problems may express the importance of buying proper footwear. One foot health problem that can be caused by ill-fitting footwear is bunions.

Shoes that are too tight or too narrow can alter the alignment of the bones of the foot. The pushing of the bones along the outside of the ball of the foot can form bunions. Shoes that do not fit well can also cause blisters and corns.

Regular foot washing helps foot health by removing bacteria, cleaning off dirt, and preparing the feet for the most effective moisturizing. Every part of the foot, including the areas between the toes, needs to be dried thoroughly after washing.

By applying moisturizer right after bathing and drying the feet, the moisturizer can lock in the moisture of the skin that has been enhanced by bathing. This can make the moisturizer more effective in preventing and treating dry skin. Foot lotions and moisturizers should never be applied between the toes.

Care should be taken when trimming toenails. If the toenails are cut too short, especially on the sides, the toenail can cut into the skin as it grows. This is known as an ingrown toenail.

Several ineffective home remedies for ingrown toenails are ineffective. Someone with an ingrown toenail should place a small, thin piece of sterile gauze between the skin and the toenail. This sterile gauze must be replaced with a fresh piece of sterile gauze every day to prevent infection.

Diabetic patients are susceptible to serious foot health problems. Due to complications of diabetes, the feet of the diabetic patient may sustain a cut or injury without the diabetic patient feeling the injury.

People who are diabetic have the risk of infection from foot injuries which can lead to a need for amputation. People with diabetes should inspect their feet every day and receive prompt medical treatment for any foot problems.

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