10 Tips For Treating Smelly Feet & Ridding Odors - Reasons Why Your Feet Stink and Treatments

Have you got a problem with smelly feet and no matter what you do or have tried to rid the foot odor the smell remains? Are your smelly feet more of an embarrassing issue for you or a problem you see as unhealthy? Foot odor is common and successfully treated on a daily basis.

If you're looking for a cure then you need to know the root cause for the odor occurring. Knowing about conditions/disorders that could be responsible for you're smelly feet will help you greatly in your attempt to treat prevent or rid the odor.

There are two primary issues known for giving rise to smelly feet (Sweating and shoe leather.) The body needs to sweat, it is a vital function the body can not do without. Although stale sweat might smell unhealthy, it is however not normal for the body not to perspire. Sweating helps to maintain body temperature. It also assists in removing waste products from the body. Unfortunately for some folk and because we as individuals differ, some sweat more than others to a degree where medical attention is necessary. If you sweat more than the normal required amount needed to keep the body cool then you could have what we call hyperhidrosis.

The chief reason for smelly feet is duly caused by bacteria, or to be more exact, of the waste product of the bacteria ingesting the sweat. Bacterium is not good and if build up remains in one spot without being washed away the bacteria excrete waste gives rise to a malodorous odor. Different types of odor occur on people because of various bacterium types.

Help prevent foot odor

To do this you need to maintain a high level of hygiene.
Wash the feet daily with warm soapy water this will help kill bacteria and leave your feet smelling fresh and not cheesy; If necessary bathe them 2 or 3 times a day. Use an anti-bacterial soap to disinfect the feet.

Change socks regular putting on a clean pair after every wash. I know it sounds stupid having to point this out but people are known to wash their feet and then put back on the same smelly socks they have just taken off.

Particular fabrics that socks are made of can cause the feet to sweat more. Avoid wearing nylon socks and wear cotton or natural fibre materials which absorb sweat. If possible it will help tremendously to wear a different pair of shoes from time to time. This gives the ones you have removed time to air ridding moisture and smell.

Try placing odor eater inserts inside your shoes. Do not spray antiperspirant/deodorant onto dirty feet. Trying to cover up foot odor this way do not make a great mix (Scented cheese.)

If you tend on using a new method/solution for treating stinky feet get your GP to give you the thumbs up first.

1. Deal with foot odor by soaking your feet in strong black tea for half an hour daily for 7 days. The tannic acid in the tea destroys bacteria and closes the pores keeping the feet dry for longer periods.

2. Sprinkle talcum powder over the feet or dust with baking soda to help reduce heavy sweating. Alternatively soak your feet in 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water.

3. Mix two tablespoons of Epsom salts in two quarts of warm to clean and freshen up the feet, this solution helps keep feet dry.

4.Throw out any shoes that you can not remove the smell from.

5. Avoid wearing plastic shoes.

6. Fill a bowl with warm water and add oatmeal, squeeze oats till water is milky then soak for 10 minutes and pat dry.

7. Rub alcohol on the smelly feet after every bath or shower. If feet sweat a lot wear two pair of absorbent socks for a fortnight and change every 4-6 hours.

Remember not all treatments work the same on each individual. Be wary and cautious about unfamiliar products. If the problem of smelly feet still persists after having tried most options to rid the smell then call in and see your doctor because a sudden onset of stinky feet could be the result of a medical problem. Your feet excrete toxins from the body so try cleaning out your bowels. By all means soak your feet but be dubious of solutions you use as a soak because the body absorbs through the skin. Your purpose is to rid the body of toxins and not add more to your system.

8. Some smells is caused by the same bacteria that cause acne so consider using 10% benzoyl peroxide

9. Try placing dryer sheets in each shoe. It helps cover the smell, however this is not an ideal solution as you are looking to rid your problem of smelly feet and not disguise them.

10. Try soaking your feet in mouthwash.

I am only the messenger here delivering what I have heard to work for ridding foot odor so it is vitally important for the health of your feet not to practice any suggested methods without medical confirmation to say it is safe to do so.

Hyperhidrosis is a condition in which the body sweats excessively for no given reason at all.

It is characterized by abnormally increased perspiration, in excess of that required for regulation of body temperature. A patient can feel at a loss of control because perspiration takes place independent of temperature. Different emotions can affect the body in different ways and anxiety is namely one for exacerbating this problem. People who suffer with nerves over their sweating tend to experience more sweating episodes. Other reasons given for excessive sweating is caused by certain foods and drinks.

Body parts we link as common areas for sweating are the hands, feet and the groin because they are the most active sites for perspiration occurring due to the relatively high concentration of sweat glands located here.

Your doctor will examine you in order to identify if you are suffering from primary hyperhidrosis or the secondary sort which can happen at any time in your life. The latter could be brought about by disorder of the thyroid or pituitary gland, diabetes mellitus, tumors, gout, menopause or specific medications. Medics have tried treating excessive sweating with oral tablets, creams, lotions, deodorants, electrical gadgets and acupuncture but sadly the success rate for most severe cases is somewhat limited. Surgical treatments have been around for the last 50 60 years. Clearly the early surgical advances were quite insidious causing complications. Since the improvement of optical surgical equipment endoscopic surgeries became the standard for different processes.

For people who suffer profusely from hand sweating then endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy is the favored treatment. If sweating is more serious under the armpit then axillary suction curettage is a regular method used for control. If excessive sweaty feet is the concern then as the main presentation, or if ETS did not cure, then the problem is usually dealt with with using lumbar sympathectomy as a surgical remedy. It is not known what causes primary hyperhidrosis but what we do know is that people suffering from it face major challenges throughout the day. Challenge it back and get help.

Did you know that the foot has more than 250,000 sweat glands? So is it any wonder why we have the problem of sweaty feet.

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