Tips to avoid chafing and blisters on the feet during the summer

Summer arrives, the heat arrives. Our habits change. Our feet are exposed for longer, we wear shoes that are not our usual ones. Our feet sweat. And as a result of all this, often, chafing or blisters are formed, so annoying and unfortunately so frequent at this time of the year. What can we do to prevent them?

The professor of the Faculty of Nursing and Podiatry at the University of A Coruña, Daniel López tells us in an interview with Infosalus that chafing are wounds that appear on the surface of the skin of the feet on a regular basis, as a result of rubbing that irritates the area.

Explains this podiatrist that the appearance of chafing, and ultimately. of blistersThe lack of regular monitoring by a podiatrist is usually due to the lack of regular monitoring by the podiatrist, since seeing this specialist can help to increase the health of the feet and correct the appearance of alterations and deformities in them.

In turn, Lopez maintains that the occurrence of chafing is associated with inadequate foot care.incorrect self-treatment, resulting from the use of home remedies for foot care, such as daily or weekly filing of the skin with files or blades that burn and damage the skin of the feet, the application of exfoliating creams that destroy the most superficial layer of the skin, the use of callicides that irritate and destroy the healthy skin of the feet, or for example, by the use of plasters and dressings that moisten and soften the skin, contributing to skin breakdown and the appearance of infections.

“Therefore, this improper care, without supervision by a podiatrist to perform a correct treatment, usually leads to the appearance of papillomas, fungus on the feet, of bad odor, of contact dermatitis, of cracks on the heels, of hardness, of calluses, and nail disorders,” he notes.

The influence of footwear

On the other hand, Daniel Lopez maintains that footwear is another common element that contributes to the appearance of the same, mainly by using a shoe in poor condition, an inherited or inadequate shoe, in length or width.

It also warns that shoes may be made from rigid materials that prevent proper foot movement control and adequate foot protection, and that fail to ventilate the foot, being materials whose composition does not meet the conditions for the feet to be maintained at a correct temperature for walking or standing. “Similarly, the presence of seams in the materials also facilitates the presence of these common foot injuries.” warns this university professor.

Likewise, this expert stresses that if people are diagnosed with diabetes they are more likely to have less pain sensation in their feet, being also another consequence that favors the appearance of these problems. “Diabetes, in addition, involves a series of complications, such as infections, which can compromise the health of the feet, ending in the amputation of the same. Also, the lack of use of socks or pinkies is another reason that promotes the appearance of chafing or infections in the foot,” he says.

He also warns about barefoot walking, “another very harmful habit”, where there are groups of people and pseudoscientific movements, such as Barefoot, that promote barefoot walking, a practice that is not recommended, since it is what will help to increase foot fractures, infections, pain and inflammation, and premature aging of the feet, apart, of course, from the risk of our feet being injured more easily.

Preventing chafing and blisters on the feet.

With all this, the professor of the Faculty of Nursing and Podiatry at the University of A Coruña, Daniel Lopez lists the following. tips to prevent this type of injury on the feet:

• Periodic checkups at least every six months by the podiatrist is the essential advice to evaluate how our feet are, to know what are the recommendations to improve the care of them, and thus avoid the appearance of chafing and any disease in them.

• In people who present foot deformities, pain, muscle problems should be screened. every one to two months to maintain their health. As well as in people with chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, stress, anxiety, respiratory diseases*.

• In addition, to improve the condition of the skin it is essential that all people daily. moisturize the feet with a specific podiatric cream that nourishes and restores the tone of the skin, to protect the most superficial layer of skin responsible for the entry of pathogens that cause the appearance of infections when the skin is in poor condition. It is always key to regenerate the skin and keep it in good condition, since the outermost layer is the gateway, if it is in poor condition, of germs that can harm the foot causing infections, such as athlete’s foot, papillomas, foot odor or any invasion generated by different types of fungi.

• If we have to wear new shoes in summer, it is recommended to use socks, stockings, tights or tights to avoid direct contact of the foot with the shoes, which will be the common cause of the appearance of wounds, chafing, fungus and bad odor. In addition, look for footwear that fits in length and width to the shape of our foot, that is composed of materials that help transpiration and that present an adjustment system, such as laces, straps or velcro to hold or release the feet according to each circumstance.

• Consult a podiatrist for any doubt related to foot care. and avoid home remedies and / or information found on the Internet without a scientific endorsement by the podiatrist to improve the health of them.