- Heel Spur Treatment Guide
- Smelly Feet (Foot Odor)
- Poor Circulation (Peripheral Vascular Disease)
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- High Arch Foot (pes cavus)
- Heel Pain in Children
- Heel Pain
- Hammer Toe
- Gout
- Fungal Infections of the Skin
- Foot Pain
- Foot Corns & Callus (hyperkeratosis)
- Flat Feet
- Dry Skin On The Foot
- Diabetes Foot Care
- Cracked Heels
- Cold Feet
- Clubfoot (talipes equinovarus)
- Children's Foot Problems
- Chilblains (Pernio; perniosis)
- Charcot's Foot
- Burning Foot
- Bunions
- Arch Support
- Arch Pain
- Ankle Sprain
- Achilles Tendinitis
Smelly Feet (Foot Odor)
Smelly feet (foot odor; malodorous; bromhidrosis) can be embarrassing and uncomfortable. Fortunately, there are a number of things that can be done to help.
Cause of smelly feet
Feet can smell as the foot sweats and is trapped inside footwear. It is the interaction of these two factors along with bacteria that causes the smell. Feet have more sweat glands than any other part of the body, so they can sweat profusely this sweat cannot evaporate (like it can on the hands) due to being enclosed in footwear. The bacteria produce isovaleric acid, which is what causes the odor.
A number of conditions can increase the liklihood of smelly feet, such as a sweaty foot condition (hyperhidrosis), stress, some drugs and hormonal changes.
Preventing smelly feet
* Bathe your feet daily in lukewarm water with a mild soap and dry thoroughly, especially between the toes.
* Change your socks at least once a day (change your shoes as well if you do sweat a lot).
* Dust your feet frequently with a foot powder (always wipe between the toes to remove excess moisture, so that it does not 'clog' between the toes).
Wear thick, soft socks to help absorb the moisture. Natural fiber socks such as wool or cotton and other absorbent materials are better.
Avoid the use of nylon socks or plastic shoes - wear shoes that are made of leather, canvas, mesh or other materials that let the feet breathe.
It is best not to wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row - they need time to dry out. Remove the inner soles from them to help with the drying.
Treatment of smelly feet
If the preventative measures above for foot odor do not help, then further investigations by a health professional and more aggressive management may be indicated.
Stronger medications (such as aluminum chloride hexahydrate 20% solution) may be prescribed. This needs to be applied to the foot every night.
Electric-current devices that pass a small electrical current through the skin can effectively diminish perspiration for several weeks.
In the most very severe cases, a surgeon can cut a nerve that controls the sweating.