Foot Care During Monsoon: Facts And Tips

While the monsoons bring a welcome respite from summer heat, it is also a time of more dirty roads, mud and puddles. Feet tend to suffer a lot during the rainy and damp weather. Proper foot care is essential to prevent skin allergies due to bacteria and germs in monsoon. Feet become very dirty, sore and cracked during monsoon. Women and men face this problem of itchy and smelly feet in the rainy season. The dirty water on the street contains germs and bacteria that can cause serious skin allergies.

If you wear closed shoes throughout the day, it is very much possible that fungal infections can affect your feet. It is the commonest type of skin complaint during the monsoon as fungus tends to thrive in humidity and develop itchy and reddish flaking patches on the body, especially on the feet.

Athlete’s Foot is a combined bacterial and fungal infection that affects people whose feet stay wet for hours, especially after exposure to  dirty water. Starting from the toes, the skin turns whitish or greenish, itches terribly and there may even be a foul-smelling discharge or  pus.

Proper foot care is essential to prevent skin allergies due to bacteria and germs in monsoon. Here are a few simple foot care tips for monsoons.

Care for Foot

    Effective cleansing of feet is very important as they would be exposed to lot of grime and muck.
   
 Do not forget to completely dry your feet so as to prevent fungal infections.
   
 Avoid wearing boots as these would hold water for a longer duration, creating a soggy environment for your feet.
    
Avoid using various creams and cosmetics for feet. The problem will continue to persist if you discontinue these creams after few days. Instead, use organic or natural virgin olive oil, almond oil and coconut oil to pamper your feet and legs.
    
Effective cleansing of the insides of your nails using an orange stick dipped in hydrogen-peroxide would help prevent nail infections.
    
A home pedicure can be done once a week.  This would consist of soaking feet in warm water to which you can add 3-4 drops of antiseptic liquid, for 15-20 minutes, followed by cleansing the inside of the nails with orange stick dipped in hydrogen peroxide and scrubbing the feet with foot scraper. Complete the pedicure by applying a light glycerin based moisturizer.
    
When you go for pedicure to a beautician, ensure that the instruments used are sterilized/ cleansed with disinfectants, or if possible use your personal instruments. Also instruct your aesthetician to avoid pushing the cuticles as toe nail fungal infections are very common in monsoons.
    
Skin on the feet is grossly affected during monsoons. The dampness can lead to fungal infections such as ringworm between the toes.
    
Ensure that your legs and feet are always clean and dry. Apply glycerine on your feet before going to bed to avoid cracking.
    
Walking in dirty water during rainy season leads to numerous fungal infections which affect toes and nails. Always keep your feet dry and clean. Avoid walking in dirty water. Keep your shoes, socks and raincoats dry and clean.
    
Always keep extra pair of footwear in the bag while going to work. Wear waterproof crocs and boots to keep your feet safe from mud and puddles. However, smelly feet due to sweat is a big problem. Therefore, after reaching the office, change into sandals or open footwear. This will allow the feet to breathe and prevents smelly feet. Apply some talcum powder when you wear your socks to prevent sweating at toes and fingers of your feet.

Prevent Athlete’s Foot by thoroughly washing your feet with soap and hot water after wading through stagnant water and then dry them completely. If the water was particularly dirty, it’s advisable after the wash 

to soak your feet for a few minutes in a tub of warm water with three or four cap-fulls of betadine solution added to it. This is a powerful Povidone-iodine based disinfectant and can also be added to the last few mugfulls of your bath water.