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A jump in the puddle of rain may satisfy your inner child. Unfortunately, this makes your feet damp and can cause smelly feet.
Fungus love moisture. If you are keeping your feet wet and walking around or staying outside for a long time, it can cause fungal infections on your feet. Rainwater means the chance of soaked clothes, shoes, and socks. All these can lead to fungal infections.
Symptoms of fungal infection of the feet:
Wearing tight, closed-toe shoes, keeping feet wet for a long time, and getting minor skin or nail injuries on your foot are the common causes of fungal infection.
Fungal infection of the feet is called the athlete of the foot. Common symptoms are - foot cracking, peeling of the skin, itching, stinging or burning of feet, skin peeling on the sides of the feet, and even discoloured thick toenails.
Wear open footwear:
If you are not bound to wear closed footwear for your profession or work, you must wear open footwear as much as possible. Closed footwear does not let the air pass and causes bad feet smelling and fungal infections.
Wash your feet with antibacterial soap and water if you soak your feet with rainwater. Apply antifungal powder before wearing socks. If you have a fungal infection, apply antifungal cream overnight. If your foot condition is not improving, consult a dermatologist for proper treatment.
Smelly feet are also common during monsoon as feet remain damp and lead to bacterial infection. This creates an odour on your feet. Avoid closed and leather shoes because these retain the moisture of your feet.
It is best to buy special rain footwear, which lets your feet dry faster and is easy to clean. Keep a pair of shoes in your workplace so that if your shoe gets wet outside, you can change the shoe. Do not keep your wet shoe in a closed rack. This allows bacterial growth in your shoe. Instead, keep your shoe under sun exposure. This helps to kill the bacteria and reduces the chances of foot infection.
Home remedies to keep your feet free from fungus:
1. Neem is well known for curing skin diseases. It has antibacterial properties. Use neem oil on your feet to reduce bacterial growth.
2. Tea trees have both antibacterial and antifungal properties. Applying tea tree oil twice a day will prevent these issues.
3. Turmeric is well known for its antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Applying turmeric paste to your infected area will cure the infection very fast. Try to use fresh turmeric powder for the paste. The turmeric powder used for cooking can irritate in some cases.
4. If you don’t have any problem with the tint of henna leaves, you can apply a paste of fresh henna leaves. Henna leaves have anti-inflammatory properties to reduce swelling and infection. Apply the henna paste and remove it with clean water when the pack gets dry.
Maintain your feet very well this season. Do not ignore any symptoms of infection. Start treating the infection immediately to stop these problems from spreading.