Healthy Feet
One thing I think is overlooked is the importance of healthy feet, so here are a few thoughts, fungal remedies, and general maintenance options for keeping your feet healthy for those long treks and bug out camping trips where your feet are the mode of transportation.
Few people think of foot hygiene as part of their daily routine, yet it should be. Because our feet are the foundation of our mobility, we need to care for them and pay attention to any problems that arise; otherwise, our ability to walk, work, do chores and engage in recreational activities may be compromised.
Practicing good foot hygiene is a cornerstone of preventive foot health.
Taking care of your feet involves more than simply washing your feet when you take a bath or shower.
1. Daily Foot Care
Wash and thoroughly dry your feet every day. Use mild soap, and wash between the toes. Be sure to dry thoroughly, especially between the toes.
Wear clean socks and change them at least daily—more frequently if you are active and/or your feet perspire heavily (padded socks with moisture wicking properties are also a good idea). Man-made fibers or blends help move (“wick”) moisture away from the feet, reducing the chances of problems such as athletes foot, fungal growth, or blisters.
Keep shoes clean, inside as well as outside.
Rotate shoes—don’t wear the same pair two days in a row or use a shoe dryer if you can't rotate. Give your shoes time to dry out, especially if you are active or perspire heavily.
For optimal foot protection, wear shoes that fit properly and that provides support.
Avoid going barefoot, particularly in public areas; if you do, wash your feet carefully afterwards.
2. Toenail Care
Trim toenails regularly (at least every two weeks). Cut them straight across, not on a curve, and file down sharp edges using an emery board.
Use clean nail clippers or scissors. Sanitize them periodically by immersing them in alcohol.
Do not attempt to cut your own toenails if you have trouble reaching them, cannot see them well, or if you have diabetes and/or neuropathy (loss of sensation in the feet), peripheral vascular disease or other circulatory issues in the feet and legs.
Healthy toenails should be pale pink where they are attached to the skin, and the part that grows above the toe should be clear where it is not adhered to the skin.
Do not put nail polish or lacquer on discolored toenails.
3. Daily Foot Inspection
Check the tops and bottoms of your feet, as well as your toes, between your toes and your toenails.
Look and feel for the following:
Bumps, lumps, blisters or bruises.
Cuts, sores, or cracked skin. Even the tiniest crack can become infected.
Temperature differences (one part warm, another cold). These can signal lack of blood flow.
Pain, tingling, numbness or no feeling at all. These can signal nerve problems.
Ingrown toenails with red, puffy skin along the nail and tenderness or pain.
Loss of hair on foot or leg can indicate circulation problems.
If you have trouble seeing the bottom or other parts of your feet, use a mirror to help you.
If your feet hurt, try to identify the source and manage it appropriately.
If you can’t tell what’s causing the pain, or if pain does not go away on its own, consult a physician or foot health professional if you have that option. Remember that any minor issues can become major issues if left alone and unresolved.
Some Typical Problems and Treatments
1. Heel Pain:
Heel pain typically results from plantar fasciitis (inflammation of a ligament at the bottom of the foot). It can result from weight gain, unsupported arches or over activity from exercise. You will detect it by pain after periods of rest, like when you first step out of bed in the morning, or after intense activity, and it hurts because you're essentially walking on an injury. You might heal your heel with the following regimen. At night, alternate two or three 15-minute periods of icing with 15-minute periods of rest; when you wake up, extend your leg and use a towel or a yoga strap to stretch your toes back toward you. Meanwhile, wear supportive shoes and take anti-inflammatory medicine if needed. If you don't feel better after three weeks, you should see a doctor. Untreated, plantar fasciitis can lead the way to other problems like tendinitis, (a tightening of the achilles) which can rupture and land you in a cast.
2. Bunions:
A dislocation of the joint in the big toe, bunions are a genetic condition that can worsen by wearing unsupportive shoes like pointy high heels, ballerina shoes, flip flops, etc...Bunions can cause swelling, redness, pain and, if untreated, can develop into arthritis. You can manage a bunion by wearing wide shoes, but the only real fix is surgery.
3. Ingrown toenails:
These can be inherited (the "pincer nail" or nail that curves inward), or they can be caused by tight shoes or pantyhose, but it's most often due to cutting too deeply into the corners of nails. As a result, skin grows over the nail, leaving you vulnerable to a bacterial infection that can become very dangerous should the bacteria reach the bloodstream. You'll know it's a bacterial infection by signs of redness, heat and swelling. Also, it smells bad. Bacteria actually eats your sweat and excrete fumes. If you notice any red streaking from the infection site, I would advise seeing a foot care specialist as soon as possible.
Otherwise, treat the infection by soaking your feet in a lukewarm bath of Epsom salt for 15 to 20 minutes and apply moisturizing cream to soften the nail. Then, use sterile clippers to trim the nail, and apply Neosporin and a bandage to the wound.
4. Fungal infections:
Thick, yellowed, crumbling nails – that's fungus. It is caused by anything that lifts the nail plate from the nail bed like shoes that don't fit. (are you starting to notice a theme yet?) Treat a fungal infection by soaking feet in a bath of Epsom salt and tea tree oil for 15 to 20 minutes followed by a topical anti fungal medicine. Then, see your podiatrist every two to three months to have the nail cut to remove the fungus.
Another treatment for severe Fungal infections is to soak your feet in a copper sulfate bath for 15 minutes a day for 7 days. Make sure to dry your feet completely and wear fresh socks daily.
How to use it: Put one tablespoon of copper sulfate in a bucket with enough water to cover your toes. Soak them for 10 minutes every day for about 7 days. Your feet will turn blue, and your nails will turn a dark brown/black. This is when you can stop the soaking. Once the nail is dead it will grow back clean. It takes several months to regrow your new healthy toenail.
Warning: If you are allergic to sulfur or sulfur drugs – don’t use copper sulfate. Furthermore, if any burning occurs – discontinue immediately and rinse off.
Note: Your toenails will turn a blueish color along with anywhere you have fungus. The Copper Sulfate will kill the fungus along with the toenail and as a new healthy nail grows in, the old nail will simply fall off. Wearing copper infused socks (cupron) will also keep new fungus from growing as your new healthy nail grows in. Make sure to switch your shoes out every other day or use a boot shoe dryer daily to make sure you are wearing dry shoes so as not to promote fungal growth.
5. Calluses:
Often caused by how someone walks, calluses can be treated with orthotics to correct a person's gait, s Although some people don't mind the extra padding on their feet, for everyone else, having the calluses shaved down by a podiatrist (foot care specialist) every two to three months. Also, moisturize your feet with a good cream and seal it into your skin by wearing a sock for 40 minutes to an hour. The more you moisturize your feet, the stronger the skin is, so it's harder to break down. Finally, you can help to scrub away calluses twice a week with an exfoliant, especially one that contains pumice, like a pumice stone.
The bottom line, so to speak is that when it comes to your foot health, pain will alert you to a problem. Pay attention and, if pain persists, see a doctor.
These are just some things thoughts and different things you can try and do to keep your feet healthy.
As always please do your research and enjoy. Courtesy of, Preppers Are We