Problems might affect your feet (2)

Problems might affect your feet (2)


Athlete's Foot

If your foot is itching, burning or peeling, you may have a case of the most common fungal infection in the world--athlete's foot. You don't even have to be an athlete to get it.


Blisters

Blisters pop up when friction causes the top two layers of skin to separate and the space in between fills with fluid. Most blisters develop on the feet as a result of wearing shoes that don't fit, or a sudden burst of activity like trying to run a marathon in old sneakers.

Corns and Calluses

Foot pain develops because of the wear and tear of walking--and wearing the wrong shoes. Most people use their feet to move more than 100,000 miles in a lifetime, the equivalent of about four times around the earth. With every step, the 26 bones, 36 muscles, 56 ligaments and yards of nerves and blood vessels of each foot have to absorb a load that equals four times the person's body weight. No wonder 8 out of 10 people have foot and ankle problems, according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.


But don't think for a minute that your feet aren't smart. They pile up layers of dead cells over areas that are exposed to repeated pressures and traumas. That's what corns and calluses are made of. While calluses aren't necessarily painful, you don't want them. The inner core of the callus reaches into the skin and puts pressure on the nerve endings, and this can really cause pain. The hard type of corn is firm and shiny and forms on the tops of toes where a bony ridge rubs against the ceiling of a shoe that's too small. Soft corns, which tend to be kind of mushy, form between the toes--most often when narrow shoes cause the toes to scrape together. Because corns make it tough to live an active life or play sports, don't ignore them; see your health care provider about annoying corns.
To be continued........