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Foot Care
You feel as
good as your feet feel. To keep your feet feeling good, your health care
team will recommend many of the following routines for you.
• After daily bathing, dry your feet well. Excessive moisture can set
the scene for fungus infections, blisters, and other irritations.
• When choosing shoes and socks, be sure they fit well and do not cause
pressure effects such as corns and calluses or constriction by elastic.
• Keep your toenails trimmed straight across and not too short. Avoid
cutting into the corners, which could injure the soft tissue and permit
infection to develop. To prevent ingrown toenails you might want to
round the corners gently.
• If you do develop corns and calluses, careful use of pressure
relieving pads may help. If you want to reduce corns and calluses,
discuss this with your health care team. They may recommend use of a
pumice stone. If corns and calluses cause persistent pain, redness, or
swelling, you will want to seek professional advice from competent
specialists recommended by your medical advisors.
• If excessive dryness or cracking of the skin on your feet is a problem
for you, moisturizing bath oil or skin lubricants may be helpful.
• In cold climates, wear adequate protective outer footwear. Boots
should be warm, waterproof, and fitted carefully to prevent
constriction, excessive rubbing, and frostbite.
• Use caution when going barefoot at swimming pools, on the beach, and
in locker rooms. Wear clogs or waterproof sandals whenever possible in
public places. Wearing slippers or shoes at all times can help prevent
foot injuries at home. Wear socks or stockings to absorb moisture as
bare feet in moist shoes may result in blisters.
• Apply cleansing or antiseptic solutions to any openings in the skin.
Call your health care team for advice if you have an injury.
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