Pregnancy & your feet
During pregnancy feet can be problematic and challenging, just reaching your feet in the later stages of pregnancy is not easy! Add to that swelling, cramps, aching, itchiness and varicose veins, feet and pregnancy don’t seem that appealing!
But foot pain need not be an inevitable part of pregnancy.
What you need to think about before you start running?
Obviously, what do you want to achieve?
Is it weight loss, general fitness and wellbeing or do you want to join a running club and or just enter races
From my experience Its better to find a running partner or club to start with as this keeps you motivated and once your hooked Its easy to run alone!!
However It dosn’t matter what your goal is the steps are the same.
How do I stop sweaty, smelly feet?
Excessive amounts of sweat (hyperhidrosis) are secreted by glands in your feet, and when this happens it effects the skins mechanical strength.
This means for example that your skin between the toes will become waterlogged and white and the skin will tear. The soles of the feet and heels can become waterlogged as well and appear pitted, white,rubbery and painful.
When the skin breaks this can then increase the risk of bacterial infection, which in turn causes the characteristic smelly feet odour. A sweat rash can then develop which consits of tiny blisters which can then block the sweat gland ducts. This results in damage to the tissues and inflammation.
Why do I produce excess sweat in my feet?
Excess sweating may be caused by several factors :
- Wearing non absorbent footwear i.e non-leather shoes
- Wearing nylon socks
- Abnormal foot shape can lead to foot strain which can cause excessive sweating
- It may indicate a medical disorder e.g. an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism)
How do I stop my feet from sweating and smelling?
- Try sweat absorbing insoles
- Changing and airing footwear frequently
- Wear cotton socks and change twice daily
- Apply astringents e.g. surgical spirit or potassium permanganate footbaths (only use 2-3 crystals)
- Antiperspirants e.g. aluminium chloride
- Deodorants
- Treatment of any foot disorder e.g. flat feet
- Treat any bacterial or fungal infections
- In severe case botox injections can help (injections of botulinum toxin)
- See your podiatrist for a consultation, who can provide stronger treatments
- Iontophoresis is a simple device used to treat excessive sweating of the hands and feet which patients can buy to use at home. Iontophoresis uses water to conduct a mild electric current through the skins surface. It is thought the electric current and mineral particles in the water work together to block the flow of sweat to the skins surface. www.iontophoresis.info
What is a Chilblain
What is a chilblain?
This is a seasonal, sudden constriction of a blood vessel affecting the young and old. This cold injury, when resolving may be mistaken for unusual hard skin or old blisters. There may be an underlying medical condition complicating the problem.
