Tips on protecting feet from the heat

As the days get longer and steadily warmer, it is important to remember to take good care of your feet. Here are a few tips to get your feet summer-ready this year:

Pick your spring/summer shoes carefully

With warm weather comes a change in footwear. Less boots and more sandals – or even going shoeless. Wearing flip-flops and sandals everyday may be very comfortable, but these types of shoes provide almost no support or protection for your feet. It is during spring and summer when many of us may experience an increase in heel and foot pain because of wearing these shoes each day. Short-term, wearing this footwear is okay for the pool or beach, but avoid wearing them every day, especially if you know you’re going to be on your feet a lot.

Protect your feet in public places

Wear shoes or sandals around the pool, to the beach, in the locker room and even on the carpeting or in the bathroom of your hotel room to prevent injuries and to limit the likelihood of contracting any bacterial infections.

Public pools, water parks, gyms and hotels can be a breeding ground for all kinds of foot infections putting you at risk for plantar warts, toenail fungus, or athletes foot. If you have diabetes, keep your feet covered at all times. You could step on something and potentially not feel it which could lead to a serious infection. If you have diabetes and haven’t had a foot exam in a while (at least once a year), you should have one to make sure your feet are in good shape.

Keep your feet looking their best

If heading to a salon, be sure you go to one that you trust and that is clean. Ask about how they take care of their instruments and how they clean them between clients. Trim your toenails straight across and be careful about digging down into the corners as this may increase your risk of ingrown toenails. If you do get an ingrown toenail, do not try to dig the ingrown nail out as this will probably only make the ingrown nail worse.

Treat calluses and cracked heels

If you have calluses, do not try to trim them with a razor blade or other sharp instrument. Instead, use a pumice stone to gently file them down. If the pumice stone is not keeping the callus in check, visit a podiatrist to have them safely treated and removed. You may need prescription strength creams to help keep the calluses in check. Cracked heels can be smoothed by using a pumice stone in the shower and applying a rich moisturizer afterwards.

Always apply sunscreen to feet

Limit walking barefoot as it exposes feet to sunburn. Be sure to apply and reapply sunscreen after being in the water. Apply sunscreen to both the tops and bottoms of the feet, including ankles. Be sure to cover the nails, too. Skin cancer found on feet can be dangerous, as it usually is harder to diagnose and may go unnoticed for longer periods of time.

Other healthy foot-care tips include the following:

· Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. This will not only help with overall health, but will also minimize any foot swelling caused by the heat.

· Keep blood flowing with periodic ankle flexes, toe wiggles, and calf stretches.

· If you injure your foot or ankle while on vacation, seek professional medical attention from a podiatric physician. Many often only contact a doctor when something is broken or sprained, but a podiatrist can begin treating your ailment immediately while you're away from home.