The extreme drop in temperatures and the stressful pace of life that we usually maintain can cause the health of our feet to suffer.
The extreme drop in temperatures and the stressful pace of life that we usually maintain can cause the health of our feet to suffer. This, added to the fact that, on many occasions, our immune system is also affected, it can cause us problems such as eczema, chilblains, or dermatitis, among many others.
So that we can prevent this essential part of our body from being damaged, and may even affect other areas such as the knees, hips, or back, the Official College of Podiatry of the Community of Madrid (COPOMA) recommends that we follow the following advice:
1. Choose suitable footwear adapted to each situation. An essential to maintain the health of our feet is footwear. This must adapt perfectly both to our feet and to the reality in which we find ourselves. In other words, first of all, it is important that it is the correct size and that we feel comfortable with it. We must not force the use of shoes that harm us or alter the structure of our feet, as they could cause us a multitude of anomalies, especially in the long term and with prolonged use of them.
In this sense, secondly, we must always be aware of the footwear we use in each situation. Precisely in winter, unfavorable weather conditions are frequent: rain, ice, low temperatures, etc. For this reason, as a general rule, in our day-to-day, we should wear shoes that protect us from the cold, with non-slip and waterproof soles.
It is normal that, for certain events, and more so on specific dates, we want to wear shoes, for example, with heels, that does not fully cover our feet or that do not have the most suitable sole to prevent falls. However, it is important to delegate the use of the type of footwear to a minimum and try to ensure that, at least, they always present basic characteristics such as flexibility or support to the foot.
2. Pay special attention to protection. For the general well-being of our body, in winter it is essential to keep our feet well protected. For this, it is not only essential to choose good footwear, but also socks, which must be made of natural fibers to help us avoid skin problems.
The extreme drop in temperatures and the stressful pace of life that we usually maintain can cause the health of our feet to suffer
In addition, apart from the outside, it is essential to take care of ourselves also inside. Given that at this time it is more frequent to carry out some excesses, to avoid a drop in defenses that leads to the appearance of skin problems, it is beneficial to drink a lot of water and increase the consumption of foods with certain vitamins such as C, E and K, and spices such as pepper, turmeric or cinnamon. All this will help us maintain good blood circulation.
3. Maintain hygiene care. Normally, in winter we tend to pay less attention to our feet than in summer. With the arrival of the cold, we cover them up and, unless we notice a problem, we take less care of our skin and our nails.
However, it is still just as important to wash them, if possible with neutral soaps, almost daily, and moisturize them. In addition, it is essential to gently dry them, paying special attention to the area between the toes, and not to put on our socks when they are still wet, as this could lead to infections.
4. Avoid sudden changes in temperature. To avoid the appearance of chilblains and other skin abnormalities, it is important to avoid sudden changes in temperature. Although our feet are very cold, especially when we come from the street, we should not bring them close to direct sources of heat.
On the other hand, in addition, to prevent the cold and changes in temperature from wreaking havoc on us, we must also avoid spending a lot of time with our feet immobilized. Likewise, we must pay special attention to sports practices, since not warming up or exercising our feet abruptly increases the ease of suffering an injury or biomechanical alteration.
5. Check the health of our feet. Another of the most important issues to avoid anomalies and ensure the maintenance of the health of our feet is to make a visit to a Podiatry consultation. As the only health professionals with the power to diagnose and treat any anomaly related to our feet, they will carry out a complete review. In addition, they will give us the best advice adapted to our circumstances and personal situation.
