Tips for Good Foot Health

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, your feet carry you about 5,117 steps every day. By the time the average person is fifty they would have walked over 75,000 miles. Although most people never consider their feet until they are in pain or have other issues. Nonetheless, it is important to keep your feet healthy for overall health. Along with working closely with a podiatrist, there are numerous tips and preventive measures you can take for good foot care.

Get to Know Your Feet

On occasion, you should look at your feet to make certain they look normal. Inspect the heels and between the toes. Look for unusual peeling or scaling which could indicate athlete’s foot. Also, look for discoloration of the toenails. Discoloration usually means that something is wrong such as fungal nail infection.

Keep Your Feet Clean and Dry

Avoid wet and dirty feet which may cause fungal infections. In fact, most fungal infections are from lack of foot hygiene. For fungal prevention, when you shower or bathe make sure to thoroughly clean and scrub your feet. As well, dry your feet well after you bathe. In addition, whenever your shoes or socks get wet, change them as soon as possible to avoid the growth of fungal organisms.

Always Protect Your Feet

You should protect your feet whenever you are in public. For instance, shoes should be worn in all public areas. Also, wearing shower shoes are recommended when in public areas like the gym, locker rooms or pool. As well, avoid sharing footwear, fungal infections like athlete’s foot can be contagious.

Keep Your Toenails Trimmed

One of the most painful experiences is an ingrown toenail. However, ingrown toenails can be prevented by properly cutting the toenails. Simply use nail clippers and cut the nail straight across. Never round the corners or cut the nail too short. Contact a podiatric specialist if you are ever unsure about the proper method to cut your toenails.

Wear Supportive Shoes

Properly fitting footwear is important for good foot health. Conversely, ill-fitting shoes can cause a lot of damage to your feet such as bunions. A good fitting shoe will have plenty of room for the toes and a supportive heel.

Wear Supportive Shoes

If you have diabetes it is imperative that you take excellent care of your feet. It is recommended that you inspect your feet often. Look for any signs of sores, cuts, bruises or discolorations. Also look for changes in the toenails like fungal infection or thickening. For good feet care, wear soft thick socks without seams. Likewise, exercise every day to improve the circulation in your feet. Also, avoid going barefoot so you are less apt to cut or bruise your feet.

Never remove corns, calluses or warts by yourself. Always contact a podiatric specialist for all types of foot care.

Proper Foot Care

You should always schedule a visit with a podiatrist if you have any of the following symptoms:

Bunions
Heel pain
Fungal toenails
Ingrown toenails
Toenail discomfort
Painful corns or calluses
Numbness or swelling
Pain in the pad of the foot
Wounds or sores that do not heal

At American Foot and Leg Specialists, we work carefully to diagnose, prevent and treat any foot problem. We offer a diversity of expert services from special treatments or surgery to routine checkups. A few of our services consist of diabetic foot care, nail and skin conditions, work and athlete related injuries, corns, bunions, flat feet, nerve testing and various pediatric care.

American Foot and Leg Specialists is conveniently located in four locations around the South Atlanta Metro and serves the surrounding areas including Clayton, Cobb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton and Henry County.