Having stinky, smelly feet can be a terrible condition to suffer from especially during the summertime or at friends’ or family members’ homes who insist you take your shoes off. If your odor is foul enough, times like these can induce severe anxiety attacks. The good news is that there are ways to get rid of your foot odor and be on your way to curing your stinky feet.
Foot odor is caused by fungus or bacteria that thrive in warm, moist environments like your shoes. Even with properly ventilating socks and sneakers, everyone has the potential to develop stinky feet. While anyone can develop foot odor from exercising in their favorite sneakers, there are some people with sweating so bad that their feet smell constantly.
Those with bromhidrosis, or extreme foot odor, have unusually smelly feet all the time that is much stronger than others’ foot odor and that often persists regardless of the situation. Bromhidrosis is the clinical term for the actual smell produced by the bacteria on your body while it interacts with perspiration. The more you sweat, the more the bacteria are, thus producing more smell. Did you know that the bacteria that thrives in the sweat is what smells and not your actual perspiration? The other common causes of foul smelling feet could be anything from certain types of skin conditions to plain old anxiety.
These types of foot odor conditions are not life-threatening, but they can lead to other more serious foot diseases like toenail fungal infections and athlete’s foot because of the environment produced. Luckily, there are easy ways to keep the stink at bay.
Keep good feet hygiene by washing your feet thoroughly each day and making to sure to dry your toes thoroughly before putting any socks on. If possible, try to wear sandals when you can. Wear naturally absorbing socks that are thinner like cotton or wool, which will keep your feet drier than synthetic fibers in turn keeping your feet from turning into stinky and smelly feet. If you know you sweat excessively, be sure to change these socks at least once a day.
Another must is to powder your feet and shoes each day before you put your shoes on. Be sure to cover your entire foot with foot powder to ensure you keep your feet dry, including in between toes. If you can, you should try to wear different shoes every day to let the previously worn pair dry out thoroughly. Never wear shoes that are damp inside unless you want perpetual foot odor.
In more extreme cases of stinky, smelly feet that cannot be controlled through the methods listed above, your doctor may take more extreme steps like prescribing medications to be applied to the foot daily, electric current therapy to deaden the sweat glands temporarily, or at worst, surgery to control the nerve that controls your foot smell.
