All of us suffer from minor ailments in the feet. Most of us tend to ignore them, hoping that they will go away on their own.
But it is always best to learn the symptoms so that you know what is troubling you, so that you can also find the cure if it turns out to become unbearable.
Here are 9 common foot problems that you should be aware about:
- Corn or Callus
This is the most common foot ailment. Corns are thick skin that is formed due to improper pressure on various points on the feet. Calluses are similar in nature, with the only difference being that they spread over a larger area and are caused by something rubbing against the skin of the feet.
Corn and calluses usually disappear when you stop what is causing the wrong pressure to your feet such as the wrong shoes or a bone spur.
Some of the ways to get rid of corns is to use a gel for the purpose of removing the corn or callus, patches or any other medication.
Severe calluses and corns might need trimming by the doctor or a minor surgery.
- Athletes Foot
This is a fungal infection that usually grow in shoes, especially when the shoe are tight or do not have air flow. They cause soreness, skin peeling, itching, burning and blisters.
Athletes’ foot is contagious and can spread by direct contact or even when person with the infection walks barefoot in places like the gym, locker rooms, pools etc… basically damp places.
Treatments for Athletes Foot include pills, powders, lotions and other fungal fighting remedies.
- Hammer toe
This is a condition of the feet where the toes, usually the toes after the big toe, curl up from the middle joint.
This usually happens when the muscles around the toe get out of balance. It might not seem like a big deal initially, but the condition can get extremely painful.
For some people this condition is hereditary, while for others it might be due to a foot injury or wrongly fitted shoes.
This condition can be corrected by surgery and wearing proper wide fitted shoes.
- Bunion
This is a bony bump caused at the base of the big toe that causes the big toe to slant towards the other toes. It affects the alignment of all the other bones in the feet. It is very painful and ways to soothe it include wearing footwear specially made for your feet or footwear with padding. The extreme relief for this ailment is surgery.
- Gout
Gout is a form of arthritis. It is caused by excessive uric acid in the body. It can form needle like points in the body. It can not only just affect the foot, but also the ankle and knees. Attacks can last for days, weeks and even months. Pain relief medication can help reduce pain caused by inflammation and swelling.
Changes in one’s diet will also help in reducing the level of uric acid in the body.
- Fungal Nail Infection
Like fungal infections can attack the skin, fungus can also affect the nails. Fungus will get into the cracks of the nail and cause it to become thick, discolored and brittle.
This infection is hard to treat. It can easily spread and this fungus is usually found in damp or wet places.
Lucky ones can get the problem resolved using anti-fungal powders, creams or lotions.
The more practical and effective treatment involved pulling off the nail by surgery so that the fungus clears up fully.
- Ingrown Toe Nail
As the problem states, it is a nail that has grown inside the skin. This ingrown nail causes inflammation, swelling and a lot of pain. The sooner you get the nail out of the skin, the better.
Ingrown toe nails usually sprout due to cutting nails too short so that they get into the skin or you fit your feet into too small shoes.
You can try pulling out the nail using a piece of cotton or a pair of tweezers.
- Flatfoot
Flatfoot is a condition when even the arch of the feet touches the floor. This condition is usually caused by arthritis but in today’s day and age there are several factors that cause it.
Being overweight and wearing tight fitting shoes will only add to the pain of this condition.
In this condition, it is important to do arch strengthening exercises.
- Plantar Warts
This is an infection where virus enters your feet through broken skin under your feet and forms tough skin growth. They are contagious and spread by skin to skin contact or by touching public places which encourage the growth of this infection.
They are harmless and usually can be left alone, provided they don’t cause too much pain.
Washing with salicylic acid helps in getting rid of them. For more severe cases, you can try laser, freezing and burning therapy to get rid of them.
There is nothing wrong in becoming aware of what ailments you can suffer in your feet. It’s always good to be aware so that you know what is happening to your body.
