Parish Nurse Notes - April

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The average person walks 65,000 miles in a lifetime. That is 3 times around the Earth. I know it’s hard to believe, but I found this “average” number in several places. April is National Foot Health Awareness Month. I guess we had better start paying attention to our tootsies. Below are some basics of good foot care, some common problems with feet, and great websites for more information.

<!--[if gte vml 1]> <![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Follow these simple steps to keep your feet happy.
-- Examine your feet daily for dryness, breaks in the skin, calluses, etc. Do this in a good light and, if your eyesight is poor, have someone do it for you. Use a moisturizing cream for dry and cracked skin. If your feet perspire, dust lightly with a foot powder.
Wear shoes and socks that fit your feet, are comfortable, and change your socks daily.
Wash or soak your feet every day. If your circulation is poor, always test the water temperature with your wrist or elbow to avoid burning your feet.
Cut or file your nails straight across and never shorter than the end of your toe. Use nail clippers, scissors, a rounded, diamond-chip nail file or an emery board.
See your doctor right away if you notice any of the following:
An injury that doesn't heal or becomes infected, discoloration of the skin, numbness, tingling, coldness, cramping, or other discomfort.

Some common non-emergent foot problems:

Bunions are painful enlargements at the joint of the big toe. The skin over the joint becomes swollen and painful. Bunions can be inherited as a family trait, can develop with no recognizable cause or can be caused by shoes that fit poorly.
Heel pain is extremely common. It often begins without injury and is felt under the heel, usually while standing or walking. Inflammation of the connective tissue on the sole of the foot (plantar fascia) where it attaches to the heel bone is the most common cause of pain. It can be associated with a bony protrusion (heel spur) seen on X-ray studies. Most cases will improve spontaneously. Heel stretching and medication to reduce swelling of the soft tissues in your foot and shoe inserts are quite helpful. If pain continues, steroid injections or walking casts are used. Only in the most troubling and prolonged cases is surgery recommended.

Corns and calluses are caused by pressure on the skin of your foot. They may occur when bones of the foot press against the shoe or when two-foot bones press together. Treatment involves relieving the pressure on the skin. Pads to relieve the bony pressure are helpful, but they must be positioned carefully. On occasion, surgery is necessary to remove a bony prominence that causes the corn or callus over this prominence.

Plantar warts occur on the sole of the foot and look like calluses. They result from an infection by a specific virus. Unlike warts elsewhere, they grow inward because of weight placed on it when you stand. You may experience severe pain when walking, and can have just one or many plantar warts. In spite of being extremely difficult to treat, success has been achieved with repeated applications of salicylic acid, which expose the virus, liquid nitrogen, injections with medications and more.

Websites with more info: feetforlife.org, dr.foot.co.uk, www.foothealthcare.com, and http://orthoinfo.aaos.org

Blessings on your happy feet! Victoria Novitch, Parish Nurse