Smelly Feet and Sweaty Feet Cures

I recently saw an article where a person said he cured his sweaty feet problem simply by using an over the counter antiperspirant.

He would first wash his sweaty feet, dry them, and then apply an unscented solid antiperspirant — the kind you can get at any drugstore for underarm perspiration. He applied the antiperspirant to his toes and the area between the toes.

According to the writer, he tried this foot odor treatment for 30 days and it seemed to cure his stinky feet problem.

Logically this seems to make sense since he was reducing the perspiration and hence lowering the amount of bacteria growth which in turn causes foot odor.

Here are some of my personal favorite foot products:

Burt’s Bees Treats For Your Feet Giftset	Burt’s Bees is a very popular brand when it comes to personal hygiene products such as powders, lotions, and creams. This gift set comes with Burt’s Bees Coconut Foot Creme, Peppermint Foot Lotion, and a signature Bee Flip-Flops in a beach ready mesh bottomed tote. A fantastic tootsie treat!
Zim’s Heels & Feet, Foot Spa 10	This inexpensive foot restoration product is by Zim’s who also makes Zim’s Cracked Creme. That product I found to be very effective lotion for really cracked and dry feet. The Zim’s Foot Spa product has a unique moisturizing and hydrating formula enriched with vitamins and botanicals, creating a soft and silky feel for your feet. And a few testimonials: “This is a miracle product. I left it on my dry, scaly feet for 20 minutes, with socks on top, and the result was amazing.” “I love this product! Don’t be scared away by the “as seen on TV” logo. My heels are usually dry and rough, but I’m amazed at how my soft my feet feel after this treatment.” “This stuff is GREAT! I have the grossest driest cracked heels and I was going to be in Hawaii in a couple days. ONE NIGHT of sleeping with these on made an amazing difference. I highly recommend them!”
Tinactin Antifungal Foot Powder	I found Tinactin to be a little more effective than Gold Bond and Odor Eater’s foot powders. Just my personal preference — I think they’re all reasonably good products. Cures & Prevents Most Athlete’s Foot, Relieves Itching & Burning. * clinically proven to cure most athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) and ringworm (tinea corporis). * helps prevent most athlete’s foot from recurring when used daily. * effectively soothes and relieves symptoms of athlete’s foot, including itching, burning and cracking. “Have achieved excellent results having used the Tinactin Antifungal Foot Powder for over 15 years. Reoccurring problems have all but disappeared. Cannot say enough good things about this powder.”

According to an article from the Courier Press, smelly feet is one of top 5 most embarrassing things to talk about with your doctor.

In the article podiatrist Dr. Brandt Dotson of Welborn Clinic says that the most common cause of foot odor is hyperhydrosis, or excessive sweating.

Dotson also states that while you can’t totally eliminate the foot odor, there are ways to keep it under control by using inserts like Odor Eaters or drying out your feet with an Epsom salt foot soak. The prescription product Domeboro can also be very effective, according to Dotson.

Finally, Doston suggests that wearing sandals sometimes can help reduce foot odor by giving your feet access to open air.

Rounding out the other top embarrassing conversations to have with your doctor are (in no particular order) : urinary incontinence, bad breath, sexually transmitted diseases, and of course, flatulence.

Smelly feet and foot odor problems could be a sign that you require medical attention.

Our first inclination is to try all natural and over the counter treatments for foot odor before resorting to the medical profession. However, there are times that you need to talk to a professional if the normal solutions don’t work to cure your foot odor.

For example foot odor caused severe athlete’s foot may require medical attention.

Athlete’s foot is a parasitic fungal infection that affects the skin. It is typically caused by mold (but in some cases by yeast). When your feet, or skin on any other areas of the body, stays moist, this fungus can thrive and infect the upper layer of the skin.

Up to 70% of the population will have athlete’s foot at some time during their lives. While most cases are not severe and respond to over the counter treatments, severe cases need medical attention.

When feet are constantly cracked and bleeding other bacterial infections can occur that are more serious and you need to consult a medical professional.

First of all, the doctor may need to do some tests to conclude the exact cause
of your foot odor.

Skin scrapings of fungal skin infection - for microscopy and culture or a swab of discharge, if present - to detect bacteria that may be responsible for a bacterial skin infection.

Leading medical treatments for athlete’s foot include oral medications like Griseofulvin. It is derived from the mold Penicillium griseofulvum and has been used in different forms since the 1950’s.

Unfortunately the drug carries a fair amount of side effects but is effective for treating severe athlete’s foot.

Also there are topical ointments available by prescription as well that may help to get rid of stubborn cases. Topical creams that are available from your doctor include Terbinafine (Lamisil AT), Clotrimazole (Lotrimin AF), and Miconazole (Micatin).

Diabetes can also be a cause for smelly feet. If you have chronic athletes foot with itching and foot odor you should check with your family doctor about the possibility of diabetes. Diabetes is a serious disorder and it is always better to be safe than sorry. People that have diabetes can easily get skin infections, so they should see a doctor as soon as anything unusual appears on their feet.

Foot odor is often associated with athletes Foot and bacteria, which are both common problems. However if the conditions fail to improve even with proper care, you should seek medical attention.

This article is for general information only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult your physician before considering any medical course of action.