Unpleasant foot odor is a common, delicate problem, the occurrence of which causes inconvenience to both its owner and the people around him. A person with such a problem develops complexes; he experiences great embarrassment whenever he needs to take off his shoes.
An unpleasant drawback requires mandatory elimination. Before you fight the smell, you need to identify the causes of its occurrence. The reason why your feet stink or smell may vary from person to person.
Causes of unpleasant odor
Unpleasant foot odor does not appear out of nowhere. The reasons for this may be:
1. Using shoes made from non-natural materials . Such a wardrobe item blocks the flow of air to the skin of the legs. This also applies to shoes that are too tight. As a result, the feet begin to sweat. All favorable conditions are created for the spread of microorganisms that cause bad odor.
2. Wearing synthetic products . The use of socks, stockings, and tights made from low-quality materials is a common cause of stench. The principle of its appearance is similar, as in the case of low-quality shoes.
3. Individual predisposition . Some people are naturally endowed with the peculiarity of severe sweating of the feet. Therefore, any physical activity, active lifestyle, stressful situations will provoke the appearance of sweating, and as a result, an unpleasant odor.
4. Failure to comply with hygiene requirements . These may include wearing dirty socks and footwear, walking in wet shoes, and not caring for your feet (removing rough skin).
Often the causes of foul odor from the feet are diseases:
- fungal infections. This is one of the most common causes of the disease . The disease can affect both nails and the skin of the feet and provoke the appearance of an unpleasant odor. Any stress or heat that leads to profuse sweating will create an ideal environment for the growth of fungal bacteria;
- Many diets and poor nutrition lead to metabolic disorders . The consequences of this may manifest itself in the form of foot odor;
- various diseases, the course of which is accompanied by sweating. This could be diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, various disorders of the thyroid gland, as well as the nervous and vascular systems;
- the cause may be menopause and any hormonal changes in the body;
- a weakened immune system of the body is unable to resist the effects of various bacteria.
Don't forget to check with your doctor
Meanwhile, hyperhidrosis is not only an aesthetic problem, but also primarily a medical problem. The cause can be a number of diseases, such as diabetes and hyperfunction of the thyroid gland (with these diseases, the normal production of hormones is disrupted, which leads to malfunctions in the sweat gland system). Or diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous system, kidney disease and hypertension.
Skin diseases such as fungus are also one of the common causes. Here folk remedies are powerless and drug treatment from a specialist is required. If, in addition to sweating and an unpleasant odor, there is itching and discomfort, you need to consult a dermatologist. He will select medicinal ointments and gels that are right for you.
Do not forget about such possible reasons as heredity and taking medications that can provoke excessive sweating.
Often the cause of excessive sweating is a stress factor. When stressed, large amounts of adrenaline and cortisol are released into the blood. They activate the autonomic nervous system of hormones, and that, in turn, forces other systems and organs to work in an enhanced mode. Blood pressure rises, blood vessels narrow, and blood thickens. The heart is forced to work, pumping thick blood. The work of the heart in this mode entails increased sweating. This occurs to improve the heat exchange of the body, which is under stress. The whole body, palms, and, of course, feet can sweat. By learning to control stress, you can solve the problem of excessive sweating.
Most often, this delicate problem haunts men. The reason is quite natural; in men, sweating of the body and legs has a higher index. And there is a scientific explanation for this. At the dawn of evolution, the main occupation of men was hunting, which involved a lot of effort. Also, men have a larger physique and greater body mass, and therefore heat exchange is higher. Therefore, the ability to sweat has evolved in men more than in women. Not least of all, the male sex hormone testosterone plays a role in increased sweating. Modern men have to wear closed shoes more often, they are more physically active and more often exposed to stress. So the question is: “Do your feet smell bad and what should you do?” - sounds most often from the stronger half of humanity.
- Author: Ekaterina Kozhevnikova
The main reason is Foot and nail fungus
Fungal disease is caused by parasitic microorganisms. You can get infected with them everywhere : in crowded places where people walk barefoot, in swimming pools, showers, saunas, baths, gyms.
| You can pick up an infection purely by accident while buying a pair of shoes in some store or while receiving a pedicure service. |
When a fungus appears, you can detect symptoms such as peeling, dry skin, itching, unpleasant odor, cracking, redness, yellowing of the nail plates, their separation and fragility.
There are many types of the disease. A doctor can determine the type and nature of the fungus. He will also prescribe appropriate treatment.
Ways to eliminate foot odor
Unpleasant foot odor is not a death sentence at all. It should not be ashamed, it should be gotten rid of. Some rules will help you effectively and quickly overcome a delicate problem. The main steps must be followed:
Maintaining hygiene. If you have a problem, do not forget to wash your feet regularly . This should be done with special care, using a washcloth and an antibacterial agent. It is good to wash the areas between the fingers, as the most suitable area for bacteria to live and spread.
Timely disinfection . Special disinfectants containing alcohol are ideal for these purposes.
| You can create such a product yourself by mixing alcohol and vinegar in equal quantities. It is convenient to apply the drug using a sprayer. |
Using antiperspirants specially formulated for feet . You can use available products that can dry the skin and cleanse it. It could be talc, soda.
To get rid of the smell, you need to wear only leather shoes . Otherwise, cleaning any other shoes requires significant attention. It should be washed, or better yet, washed, and it should be done regularly.
In summer it is worth wearing open shoes so that your feet can breathe. But rubber slippers or sandals, as well as shoes with plastic inserts, will only increase the unpleasant odor of your feet.
Under no circumstances should you wear wet shoes unless you want to develop unpleasant foot odor.
Be sure to wear clean, good quality socks . If there is a problem, it is better not to wear or purchase synthetic products. You should wear a new pair every day . As the problem worsens, socks need to be changed more often.
Foot baths made using natural ingredients at home will help get rid of the foul odor
The use of essential oils and various ointments that have an antiseptic effect on the skin.
The use of talcs , which eliminate excess moisture and reduce sweating.
Treatment of leg swelling due to heart or kidney failure
Patients with heart or kidney failure should be under the supervision of a physician. In acute attacks, resuscitation is required. If the disease takes a chronic form, swelling is removed as it appears with the help of diuretics and nutritional correction. Medicines should:
- stabilize blood pressure;
- remove excess sodium from the body;
- prevent protein loss;
- normalize blood flow speed.
When using diuretics (diuretics), it is important not to exceed the permissible dosage. Otherwise, there is a risk of getting the opposite effect in the form of drug-induced edema during withdrawal. They are caused by the kidneys’ reaction to a sudden change in the mode of fluid excretion.
Special products and antiseptics, foot powders
To eliminate the problem of bad smelling feet, pharmaceutical companies offer many different products. Each of them is effective in its own way and has its own application features:
1. Foot lotions are special preparations that have a deodorizing and disinfecting effect on the skin of the feet.
| Before using them, your feet should be washed and dried. After the application procedure, you need to wait until the lotion dries completely. |
Effective drugs are “ Galeno Pharm ” and “ 5 days ”.
2. Ointments:
- zinc ointment is an affordable budget product for reducing foot sweating, softening, moisturizing the skin and eliminating unpleasant odors;
- ointment DEO-control , consisting of lavender, tea tree, shea, cocoa oils and a complex of vitamins. Thanks to this composition, the ointment acts on the feet as an antiseptic - it softens the skin and reduces sweating;
- Teymurov's paste is a recommended and highly effective drug for combating foul odor. The product has drying and antibacterial properties and has proven itself in eliminating deficiencies.
Before using any ointment, you need to wash your feet well , let your feet dry naturally, then rub the product in with smooth, careful movements for several minutes and wait until it dries completely. The procedure must be carried out for 4-7 days until a noticeable result is obtained.
How does it manifest?
In addition to the obvious symptoms of hyperhidrosis of the arms or legs, there are others. For example, the hands and soles feel cold and sticky to the touch. The skin on them is slightly reddened, the lines and furrows are clear and deep.
In people suffering from excessive sweating, embarrassment, withdrawal, and embarrassment are noticeable from the outside. They are afraid to extend their hand to shake hands, afraid of close physical contact, and have difficulty holding slippery objects.
Increased secretion often leads to irritation, inflammation of the skin, and infection. Common complications of hyperhidrosis on the feet include fungal infections of the skin and nails.
Folk remedies to combat unpleasant foot odor
Traditional medicine offers many options for combating unpleasant foot odor. Among the huge number of folk remedies, the following recipes are truly effective:
Chamomile infusion . To prepare it, you need to pour the dried crushed plant (3 tablespoons) with a liter of boiling water. Then cover the container with a lid and let the liquid brew for 1 hour. After this time, add 1 tbsp. l. soda, and the infusion is ready. You will need to rub the product on bad-smelling feet, after washing them first.
Oil cocktail . When taking a bath, you can add a mixture of essential oils to the water. Take 5 drops each of sage, eucalyptus and pine oil . These scents will help eliminate foul odors.
An infusion of vinegar is suitable for both eliminating odor and fighting fungus . To do this, you need to mix 200 g of butter, 100 g of vinegar, 1 egg and its crushed shell. Place everything in a glass jar and refrigerate for one week. The prepared infusion should be lubricated daily on the affected areas for 2 weeks. If you add carrot juice to vinegar, this will help improve the skin of your feet and promote its speedy recovery.
Garlic ointment . You need to crush the garlic and mix with the same amount of butter. The finished ointment is applied during the day until the first positive results appear.
Onion compresses . In some situations, onions help get rid of sweaty odor.
| You can simply rub onion juice on your feet. But it is much more effective to create onion-based compresses and leave them on your feet overnight. |
Burdock leaves are used to create a compress for the feet. The plant must first be prepared by rolling the leaves over the leaves with a rolling pin to squeeze out the juice. Then you just need to wrap your feet with the prepared leaves and leave them overnight, securing them with socks. You need to be treated in this way for 3 weeks. Rowan leaves also have similar properties .
Recipes for refreshing and therapeutic foot baths
A good way to eliminate the annoying nasty foot odor are various baths. They must be taken regularly to achieve noticeable results. Several available recipes:
Oak decoction . To create the product you will need crushed oak bark (2 tbsp.), 1 glass of boiled water. The mixture should be placed in a water bath and cooked for 30 minutes. After cooling, the liquid must be filtered and a little water added to it to replenish the original volume.
Additional Tips
Removing shoe odor using steam. The steam cleaner is also effective against odors.
- Hot steam kills bacteria and removes odors.
- Direct the steam into your shoes for a few seconds to prevent them from getting too wet.
- Dry the inside of the shoes well.
The best way to do this is to fill your shoes with toilet paper and place them in the fresh air to dry.
If you don't have a steam cleaner at home, you can boil some water with a few splashes of lemon juice in a saucepan and soak your shoes in the hot steam for a while.
Maintaining personal hygiene rules
To prevent the problem of bad foot odor from disturbing a person once again, it is necessary to follow the rules of hygiene. It is much easier to prevent the occurrence of any disease than to deal with its consequences. Therefore, a few worthwhile tips will be useful to everyone:
- You should not walk barefoot in public places;
- It is important to change socks regularly;
- you need to keep your feet clean, for this you need to wash them daily and wipe them dry with a towel;
- You need to keep your shoes dry and air them regularly. Various aerosols to eliminate odors will help in this matter;
- try not to wear someone else’s shoes and not give yours to strangers to use in order to avoid acquiring fungus;
- Do pedicures regularly and monitor the condition of the skin on your feet.
Relieving swelling during pregnancy
In the body of a woman carrying a fetus, the concentration of the hormone progesterone increases. It is one of the causes of edema during pregnancy. In no case should it be reduced, because it is this that ensures the attachment of the embryo.
There is no need to fight physiological swelling. The main thing is to prevent it from getting worse. To alleviate the symptoms, you can carry out the mentioned water procedures and adhere to a healthy lifestyle (moderate activity, water consumption within the daily norm, adjusted for restrictions imposed by pregnancy, rest on your side).
The pathological nature of edema can only be determined by a doctor based on test results (in particular, protein in the urine). Having discovered the cause, he will prescribe treatment. It is prohibited to take any medications on your own.
Proper care of shoes and socks
The problem of unpleasant foot odor can be completely eliminated only through a comprehensive approach. To do this, you need to monitor not only foot hygiene, but also properly care for your shoes. It must be stored in special ventilated boxes.
| Shoes need to be washed both inside and outside. You can use powders specially created for it with an antibacterial effect. |
Of the available remedies, a small amount of baking soda . If you pour this product into your shoes, you can eliminate excess moisture and bad odor. The portion of shoe soda should be changed every day.
Bay leaves will help eliminate unpleasant odor from shoes that is transferred to your feet . You just need to put a few leaves under the insole. The spice clove will help solve the same problem.
To prevent your feet from smelling bad, you need to pay attention to the cleanliness of your socks or tights. It is better to wash clothing items inside out .
If you approach solving the problem comprehensively, regularly devoting a little time to foot and shoe care procedures, you can get rid of the foul-smelling scourge in the shortest possible time.
Diagnostics
It is impossible not to notice that your feet are sweating. This is detected by the patient’s subjective sensations and external signs: wet socks and shoes. To find out the cause of hyperhidrosis, you should consult a dermatologist. He will conduct an examination for a fungal infection: he will shine a Voodoo lamp on the nails. If fungus is present, the fingers will glow a characteristic color.
Scraping from the nail followed by microscopy allows you to accurately diagnose mycosis. This study is carried out when the results obtained by the lamp are questionable.
