How To Protect Your Feet

Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by higher blood glucose level that results from either insulin deficiency or insulin resistance. Most people know that a classic "bunion" appears as a bump on the side of big toe joint. Portions of the skin that seem thicker may be calluses.

Professional treatment consists of using a special shoe insert called a functional orthotic that corrects foot function. Corns are areas of thick skin that most commonly occur on the top of the toes. Generally there is an associated hammertoe deformity , which causes the toes to rub on the top of the shoes. Professional treatment is directed at correcting the hammertoe deformity Small corns can also occur on the side of the little toe next to the toenail. Professional treatment consists of removing the bone spur Bone spurs also cause corns between the toes. Soft corns are areas of white moist skin between the toes. Acute athlete's foot can mimic the soft corn. Damage to a nerve in the foot can also be a reason.

Your podiatrist can also remove hard skin, relieve pain and redistribute pressure with soft padding, strapping or corrective appliances (orthotics) which fit easily into your shoes. The skin should then return to its normal state. The elderly can benefit from padding to the ball of the foot, to compensate for any loss of natural padding. Following daily or weekly regimes will improve the condition of your skin and will delay the onset of callus production. You may need to see your podiatrist regularly to keep the callus under control or consider the use of orthotics to prevent the cause of callus build up. In the event you wander without footwear by means of these kinds of locations, you might get plantar warts. Person-to-person make contact with can easily distributed plantar warts also.

Plantar warts are caused by a virus that infects the outer layer of skin on the soles of the feet. If you are not sure if you have a plantar wart or a callus, let your health care provider decide. Follow your health care provider's advice regarding nutrition, exercise, and medication.

We've been using lemon drops in our tumblers of ice water, partially for the benefit of the powerful antioxideants, but also because it tastes so good. And if you didn't already know, over 150 hospitals in England are using the oils for antiseptic and treatment purposes. CAUTION: Citrus oils should NOT be applied to skin that will be exposed to direct sunlight or ultraviolet light within 72 hours. Rub a drop of Lemon oil on a corn, callous or bunion mornings and evenings for relief. Corns are basically caused by too much pressure against the skin. As your shoe continues to rub against the surface of your toe , in order to absorb the punishment, the skin hardens.

The health care provider may clean out any dead and infected tissue. Also, the health care provider may culture the wound to find out what type of infection you have, and which antibiotic will work best. Walking on an ulcer can make it get larger and force the infection deeper into your foot. Your health care provider may put a special shoe, brace, or cast on your foot to protect it. If your ulcer is not healing and your circulation is poor, your health care provider may need to refer you to a vascular surgeon. After the foot ulcer heals, treat your foot carefully. Poor circulation (blood flow) can make your foot less able to fight infection and to heal. You can control some of the things that cause poor blood flow.