Why do our feet smell?

E­verybody is familiar with this phenomenon. Most of us have a friend or relative who can clear out a room when they kick off their shoes. And even the sweetest smelling person can do a decent job stinking up a pair of shoes by running a few miles in them. So what's going on here? Why do your feet have a stronger odor than the rest of you does? The main thing that feeds foot smell is sweat. With more than 250,000 sweat glands each, your feet are among the most perspiring parts of the body. In one day, each foot can produce more than a pint of sweat! Sweat is basically just salt and water, though, so it doesn't have a distinctive smell of its own. The smell is actually caused by bacteria on our skin that eats the sweat and excretes waste that has a strong odor. It's perfectly normal to have bacteria on your skin, and it doesn't ordinarily produce a noticeable smell, but sweat attracts bacteria and gives them a whole lot to feed on. Of course we sweat all over -- our hands have a comparable number of sweat glands, for example -- and most of the rest of our body doesn't particularly stink (the armpits being a notable exception. See How Sweat W­orks for details.) So what's different about our feet? The answer is our socks and shoes. The sweat our feet excrete can't easily escape into the air like the sweat our hands excretes -- it all collects on our skin and in our socks. The bacteria love this dark, damp feast and have a sort of feeding frenzy. When you take off your shoes, the smell that hits you is all the bacteria excretion that's collected on your feet and in your socks and shoes. The main reason some people's feet (or more precisely, some people's socks and shoes) smell worse than other people's is that some people sweat more than other people. This is just one of the many variable physiological qualities of human beings. This is also why sometimes your feet smell much worse than at other times -- it all has to do with how much you sweat. Tips to Reduce Foot Odor
So, since foot odor is caused by bacteria digesting sweat, there are two main ways to reduce the stink. You can:
decrease the amount of bacteria on your feet
decrease the amount of sweat that collects on your feet and in your shoes
Reducing the level of bacteria is really a matter of cleanliness. To control the bacteria population on you feet, you should:
wash your feet with strong anti-bacterial soap
wear clean socks
don't wear the same shoes everyday - give a pair of shoes 24 hours or more to air out before wearing them again
To reduce the amount of sweat that collects in your shoes, you should:
wear well-ventilated shoes instead of very constrictive shoes, such as boots
always wear socks, preferably made of cotton or other absorbent materials that absorb a lot of the sweat so the bacteria can't feed on it
change your socks a few times a day
buy some absorbent Odor-Eater type shoe inserts
apply an antiperspirant to your feet
­If your foot odor is really bad and these solutions don't help much, then you should see a doctor. There are a number of prescription drugs that can treat serious foot odor, some by killing bacteria and some by reducing foot sweat.

new soles to the soul!

Linda Dahlstrom writes: Have a bunion? Well, that says a lot about you. At least, if you believe foot readers, who say that not only are toes the new windows to the soul but they can also reveal everything from whether someone is honest to their financial state. (A good clue is if they’re clad in Christian Louboutins.)

Have a hammer toe? That indicates some kind of struggle, toe readers say. Also, rigid toes mean rigid people.

But don’t you think it’s as easy as just looking at the foot – there’s far more to it. “I usually just ask their name and if they’re right or left handed. That tells me a lot,” toe reader Jan Daniel told NBC affiliate KXAS. Of course it does.

More people may be toe readers than you know, so if you want to keep an aura of mystery, you’d best slap on some socks. The movement is making a march across America with a Facebook group for toe readers, a website called “Celebrity Toe Watch” devoted to reading the doggies of the rich and famous and, there’s even a toe reading cable TV show in Boise, Idaho.

Definition

Heel fissures, also known as cracked heels can be a simple cosmetic problem and a nuisance, but can also lead to serious medical problems. Heel fissures occur when the skin on the bottom, outer edge of the heel becomes hard, dry and flaky, sometimes causing deep fissures that can be painful or bleed.
Cause

Heel fissures can affect anyone, but risk factors include:

* Living in a dry climate
* Obesity
* Consistently walking barefoot or wearing sandals or open-backed shoes
* Inactive sweat glands

Like many foot conditions, heel fissures can become more dangerous if they go untreated and become deep or infected. This is especially dangerous for people with diabetes or compromised immune systems.
Treatment and Prevention

Moisturizing the feet regularly can prevent heel fissures. Once they occur, you can use a pumice stone daily to gently decrease the thick and flaky layer of skin. Avoid going barefoot or wearing open-backed shoes, sandals or shoes with thin soles. Shoes with strong shock absorption can help to improve the condition.

Moisturizing the feet at least twice a day and wearing socks over moisturizer while sleeping can also help.

If the problem persists, see your foot doctor.

What Is an Ingrown Toenail?

When a toenail is ingrown, it is curved and grows into the skin, usually at the nail borders (the sides of the nail). This “digging in” of the nail irritates the skin, often creating pain, redness, swelling, and warmth in the toe.
If an ingrown nail causes a break in the skin, bacteria may enter and cause an infection in the area, which is often marked by drainage and a foul odor. However, even if the toe isn’t painful, red, swollen, or warm, a nail that curves downward into the skin can progress to an infection.

Causes
Causes of ingrown toenails include:
Heredity. In many people, the tendency for ingrown toenails is inherited.
Trauma. Sometimes an ingrown toenail is the result of trauma, such as stubbing your toe, having an object fall on your toe, or engaging in activities that involve repeated pressure on the toes, such as kicking or running.
Improper trimming. The most common cause of ingrown toenails is cutting your nails too short. This encourages the skin next to the nail to fold over the nail.
Improperly sized footwear. Ingrown toenails can result from wearing socks and shoes that are tight or short.
Nail Conditions. Ingrown toenails can be caused by nail problems, such as fungal infections or losing a nail due to trauma.
treatment
Sometimes initial treatment for ingrown toenails can be safely performed at home. However, home treatment is strongly discouraged if an infection is suspected, or for those who have medical conditions that put feet at high risk, such as diabetes, nerve damage in the foot, or poor circulation.
Home care:
If you don’t have an infection or any of the above medical conditions, you can soak your foot in room-temperature water (adding Epsom’s salt may be recommended by your doctor), and gently massage the side of the nail fold to help reduce the inflammation.
Avoid attempting “bathroom surgery.” Repeated cutting of the nail can cause the condition to worsen over time. If your symptoms fail to improve, it’s time to see a foot and ankle surgeon.
Physician care:
After examining the toe, the foot and ankle surgeon will select the treatment best suited for you. If an infection is present, an oral antibiotic may be prescribed.
Sometimes a minor surgical procedure, often performed in the office, will ease the pain and remove the offending nail. After applying a local anesthetic, the doctor removes part of the nail’s side border. Some nails may become ingrown again, requiring removal of the nail root.
Following the nail procedure, a light bandage will be applied. Most people experience very little pain after surgery and may resume normal activity the next day. If your surgeon has prescribed an oral antibiotic, be sure to take all the medication, even if your symptoms have improved.

Aching feet:

But these days, we see a whole soccer teams of 16-year-old girls" complaining of the sort of foot pain when we used to see mostly in "older, fatter" people.

The culprits aren't the girls' soccer cleats or even the high heels they break out on prom night. Instead, it's their flip-flops — the flimsy, slip-on, toe-thonged sandals that girls and young women nationwide have adopted as their warm-weather, everyday shoe uniform.

"Flip-flops were never meant to be everyday shoes," "They were meant to wear from the locker room to the pool and back."

The problem, is that flip-flops offer little cushioning and no arch support, and they force their wearers into an unnatural, toe-gripping, foot-slapping gait.

Among the possible consequences:

•Sore arches and heels, which can progress to chronic conditions, including inflamed Achilles tendons and plantar fasciitis, inflammation of the connective tissue between the heel bone and the toes. Heel calluses (from the pounding). Hammer toes (from the gripping). •Irritation between the toes (from the toe thongs), which can lead to nasty fungal infections.

Of course, flip-flops aren't the only popular shoes that can hurt your feet. Pretty little ballet flats and sky-high wedges, if worn too often or in the wrong circumstances, can cause just as much pain as classic trouble-makers such as stiletto heels, experts say. Even sensible, low-heeled, wide-strapped sandals can harm your feet if you wear the same pair every day from June to September.

A few tips for making it through the summer with feet that look good and feel good, too:

•Spend most of your time in sturdy shoes that offer heel and arch support. "If you can take the sandal or ballet flat and twist it into a little ball, that's a sign that they can't take everyday wear and tear," Crane says.

•Stick to heels — or wedges — of 2 inches or less, except on special occasions. A wedge may feel more stable than a heel of the same height, but it can put just as much pressure on your feet, knees and hips.

•Wear the right shoes at the right time. "If you are going to be involved in a sport or walking all day, wear shoes that are made for that.

•Switch shoes daily, if possible, especially if you live in a humid climate. Even very comfortable, sensible shoes can grow fungus if they don't get a chance to dry.

•Buy shoes that fit and feel comfortable the first time you put them on. "The concept that you just have to break in a shoe is a fallacy. If the shoe is not comfortable, don't buy it," Anderson says.

•Put some sunscreen between those sandal straps. "People put it on their legs, completely forget their feet" and end up with badly burned feet..

1 in 5 Health Insurance Claims Mishandled

It may come as a surprise to few to learn that one in five health insurance claims aren't handled properly. According to a new report by the American Medical Association (AMA), one-fifth of all claims are handled incorrectly by health insurance companies. In their annual "National Health Insurer Report Card," the AMA graded the eight largest health insurers in the U.S. on how claims are handled. The AMA concluded that the system would save $15.5 billion each year in administrative costs if the problems were corrected. In addition to unnecessary administrative costs, wrongly handled claims delay payment to medical providers and frustrate many patients. According to the AMA, the health care system spends as much as $210 billion annually on claims processing.

Pregnant Women Should Avoid High Heels

High heels, Uggs and flip flops should be avoided by moms-to-be as they may cause foot and back problems, according to a survey from the British Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists. Of 1000 pregnant women surveyed, seven in 10 who wore high heels reported foot problems including swollen ankles and heel pain. High heels "place extra pressure on your joints when they are already under strain, which can result in a host of foot, leg and back problems and could increase the likelihood of falls," said podiatrist Lorraine Jones. Sixty-six percent of the women surveyed said they regularly wore flip flops, 53% wore ballet pumps, 30% wore Uggs and 32% wore high heels. The American Podiatric Medical Association recommends "comfortable footwear that provides extra support and shock absorption."

Anyone for new shoes?

Romanian shoe designer Mihai Albu has created a shoe that will raise you up an entire foot. What woman wants to be a whole foot taller? And talk about hard to walk in – they’re a lesser version of stilts (albeit much better looking)!The tall shoes seem to come at a tall price, as well: $1,525, which is approximately three times the monthly wage in Albu’s homeland of Romania

Recovery, yea sure, tell that to my patients!
Las Vegas has been hit with the worst recession in the nation. Unemployment is in the double digits, the visitor count is at a ten year low, construction has been nonexistent for 2 years. Driving to work this morning, I noticed that the usual billboards that in the past displayed enormous “ busted” women as an inducement to have augmentation surgery by cosmetic surgeons were replaced by bankruptcy attorneys. There were a plethora of “ discount buffets” advertisements at the local hotels and the bail bondsman were everywhere! What does this have to do with podiatry you ask? Simple. People are out of work, Insurance coverage has dried up for many and Colbra coverage is just not affordable. As many of my readers know, I left a very successful practice in the northeast 20 years ago to become Director of a Community Health Care Center in Las Vegas. I had the opportunity to oversee the operation of a clinic that treated over 35,000 patient visit’s a year. Of these visits 95% represented uninsured, Medicaid, homeless and AIDS patients all. If this type of experience does not instill humility nothing will! I have seen the return of this type of despair and hopelessness again during this recession. Patients are waiting weeks if not months longer then they should to receive foot care. Patients whose Ingrown nails could have been treated with just antibiotics now must undergo extensive surgeries to save their feet. Many have no to little health care coverage. Some have a local HMO who refuses to see patients for weeks because they say “ we are backlogged” and you just have a “ toe” problem. The current situation has become troubling, but, it also has given me the opportunity to once again pay back the community for the success it has given me. We are now (until this economic mess ends) are discounting ALL our fees to uninsured and to those whose plans we do not accept to the lowest fees we can possible accept. Examples: Permanent correction of ingrown nails (includes the visit, surgical procedure and follow up) $150.00. Custom orthotics (depending on type) for $199.00. These fees I feel are fair and more importantly needed during the worst economic times many of us have and ever will suffer from. I may not be able to make my car payment as easy nor my house payments, but I will be able to put my head on the pillow at night and know that I am making a difference to my patients, their families and all who are in need of foot health care.
Wishing you all a safe, healthy and joyful summer,
Dr. Ted

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