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Foot Fungus tips

Why It’s Important to Keep Your Feet Covered Up

Walking around barefoot is not the wisest decision. The main reason to keep your feet covered up is that it lowers your chances of catching an embarrassing condition. When you expose your bare soles to a germ covered floor, you can accidentally pick up a virus or fungus.

Athlete’s Foot

Skipping your shoes and walking barefoot can lead to athlete’s foot — it can even happen in the comfort of your own home. The foot fungus is contagious. When a family member or roommate has an irritating infection, you are likely to contract it too. A person with this specific fungal infection will contaminate the floor whenever they walk over it barefoot.

Exposing your feet to the contaminated area raises your risk of infection. If you’ve never suffered from the foot fungus before, here are some common symptoms of athlete’s foot that you should recognize:

  • Itching
  • Burning
  • Stinging
  • Dry, cracking skin
  • Rash
  • Odour

Toenail Fungus

You can catch toenail fungus from a surface that’s been contaminated by someone with the infection. You can also get an infected toe if you have athlete’s foot. The foot fungus spreads from the soles and up into your toenails, turning them thick, brittle and yellow. You can click here to find out what causes toenail fungus other than contaminated floor surfaces and wandering athlete’s foot. Knowing the risks can help you avoid an uncomfortable infection.

Plantar Warts

If you walk around barefoot, you can also contract the human papillomavirus (HPV) through your sole and develop a plantar wart. It is a small rough growth that looks like a callus or corn. Since the plantar wart is on the bottom of your foot, it can feel tender or painful when you stand, walk or put pressure on it in any other way.

What Should You Do?

Start by breaking the bad habit of walking around barefoot. You can wear waterproof shower shoes in public spaces like gym locker rooms, swimming pool decks and saunas to protect your feet. Surfaces that are warm and moist present a higher risk of contamination.

Buy some pairs of indoor slippers for the home and place them by your main entrance. This way, you can effectively cover up your bare feet and avoid tracking outside dirt on your clean floors.

Here are some other simple tips to avoid infection:

  • Wash your feet every day
  • Moisturize your feet if your skin is dry
  • Cover up cuts or wounds on your feet with bandages

If you happen to contract any of these infections, you should make an appointment with one of our licensed chiropodists. We have the best foot solutions in Toronto — we can do everything from nail fungus treatment to plantar wart excision. When over-the-counter medications and home remedies don’t do the trick, experts can give you effective treatment options.

As an additional perk, slippers and shower shoes protect your bare feet from any objects lying on the floor. You’ll appreciate the protective barrier when you step over something sharp like a shard of glass, something hard like a discarded toy piece, or something disgusting like a cat’s hairball.

 

Here’s to Many More Years of Foot Care!

At Feet First Clinic, we’re always excited to welcome new clients! After a successful 12 years of treating our amazing patients, we’re ready to continue offering only the best foot care services and products. Give us a call to ask our friendly staff any questions you may have! Our Toronto foot specialists are ready to help!

Call us at 416-769-3338 or Book Your Assessment Today!

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Carolina Charles

Patient Relation Coordinator (She/Her)

If you’ve been to the clinic before, chances are you had the pleasure of meeting Carolina! Carolina’s daily goal is going above and beyond to make sure patients are always completely satisfied. Having worked in the podiatry industry for 22 years, Carolina brings a wealth of knowledge pertaining to client service, insurance policies, and procedures. She steers the ship to make sure everything runs smoothly on the daily. Carolina is known for spicing up every outfit with her signature costume jewellery.