FOOT HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH-MAY 2006

    Unfortunately most of us don’t bother much about our feet until they develop some sort of problem. We plod along expecting them to carry us throughout our life with minimal attention!

   We squeeze them into pointed shoes and wonder why we develop blisters and corns; high heels and wonder why the ball of our foot aches and burns! The nails that become thick and discoloured are quickly covered with polish [by the ladies anyway, the men’s are usually hidden inside their shoes!] Then there are the synthetic shoes which, especially in the hot, humid climate of Cyprus, become the perfect environment for athlete’s foot!

   I’m not saying never wear any of these shoes as I’ve learned through experience that the fashion conscious will ignore this advice anyway, but as with many health problems a little education and early treatment can go a long way.

Many foot problems can begin in childhood when the foot is soft and pliable and easily affected by external factors so there’s no better time to start foot health education than with children and their parents and even teachers. Children are taught to look after their teeth so why not their feet?!

   Below are a few basic steps to good foot hygiene and care. These simple rules can be taught to children but carried on throughout life!

1. WASH DAILLY; wash your feet every day with mild soap and warm water. Dry carefully, especially between the toes.

2. TRIM NAILS REGULARLY; cut toe nails straight across, not too short and never down the sides.

3. THE RIGHT SHOES; as well as length, shoes should be the correct width and depth and should fit snugly at the heel and arch. It is important that socks and tights fit well too.

4. BE AWARE; Teach children that;

A. certain things can be passed from one person to another eg. Verrucae

                  b. Ingrown toenails can sometimes be caused by poor nail cutting

                  c. painful feet may be caused by shoes which are too small

            …….The list goes on but a podiatrist/chiropodist can answer any questions you may have. Any redness, swelling, itching, pain or other changes in the feet should never be ignored and professional advice should be sought from a podiatrist/chiropodist. A list of podiatrists in your area can be obtained from our society ( www.podiatrists-chiropodists.com ).                                                                 

Debbie Charalambous, Podiatrist ,

Member of the Cyprus Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists.

Member of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists (UK).