May 2013: Smelly feet

Citation

(2013), "May 2013: Smelly feet", Health Education, Vol. 113 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/he.2013.142113eaa.001

May 2013: Smelly feet

May 2013: Smelly feet

Article Type: Internet review From: Health Education, Volume 113, Issue 5.

Our feet have more sweat glands than any other part of the body. Smelly feet or to use the medical term, bromodosis, can occur in anyone, though for hormonal reasons, teenagers and pregnant women are particularly susceptible. Not only are smelly feet unhygienic, they are unpleasant for the sufferer as well as people around them. Although a relatively simple condition the causes of smelly feet are multifactorial. The fundamental cause is the inability of sweat to evaporate and the bacteria on our feet then break down the sweat to produce the characteristic cheesy odour. Consequently anything that increases sweating or decreases the ability of the sweat to evaporate will increase the likelihood of smelly feet. Thus wearing the same shoes day after day without giving them a chance to thoroughly dry out will cause sweaty feet. Work, that means you are on your feet most of the day, increases sweating and can lead to sweaty feet. Similarly stress at work can lead to increased sweating and thus exacerbate the problem. Certain medical conditions, such as hyperhidrosis, also causes increased sweating and without proper foot care this can also lead to smelly feet. Fungal infections, such as athletes’ foot can lead to smelly feet if not treated adequately. Fortunately, although the causes may be quite complex, self-help treatment for smelly feet is relatively simple and this is where the internet can help. In this review, web sites that provide this type of self-help guidance will be reviewed.

Prevention www.prevention.com/prevent/how-prevent-smelly-feet

Prevention is the name of this web site and that is exactly what it aims to do for a whole range of health issues. Users can find advice on how to prevent diabetes, heart disease, constipation, travel sickness and of course, what is relevant here, smelly feet. Being a commercial web site its primary aim is to try to sell the user something that will prevent the particular condition. That said, it is also true that before the user is faced with the “hard sell”, they will be presented with a number of tips on how to deal with the condition, and advice of course costs nothing. So in the case of smelly feet, after explaining that it is dampness that is the ultimate cause of smelly feet, users are urged to dry their feet very carefully and to use talcum powder to absorb the dampness. Socks are also useful in this respect in that they will soak up the sweat that our feet produce during the day. The most interesting piece of advice offered to deal with smelly feet was to “head for the liquor cabinet”! The idea is that users can rub vodka onto their feet and the alcohol will kill the bacteria that lead to smelly feet. Good advice but I think I would save the vodka for drinking and use medicinal rubbing alcohol to achieve the same effect. Finally, if all else has failed, users with smelly feet are advised to see their own doctor to obtain a more powerful antiperspirant.

NHS choiceswww.nhs.uk/Livewell/foothealth/Pages/smellyfeet.aspx

Livewell is part of the National Health Service Choices web site and it comprises over 100 different health-related topics including healthy eating, alcohol use, contraception and of course smelly feet. The approach is very straightforward and the information provided is written for lay users, hence medical terminology is kept to an absolute minimum. The section on smelly feet begins with some demographic information indicating how the problem is distributed amongst different groups of people in the community. The information provided then goes on to explain why feet sweat pointing out that temperature in fact plays very little part in the process. Hormonal changes, emotional stress, occupations that require a great deal of standing as well as the use of certain prescribed drugs are all implicated in the problem. The web site then explains that the problem arises when the sweat cannot evaporate or footwear is not given the chance to thoroughly dry out after use. Both of these conditions provide an ideal situation for bacteria to thrive and it is the breaking down of sweat by the bacteria that is responsible for the unpleasant smell. The self-help suggestions for the preventing smelly feet include not only washing, but thoroughly drying feet before putting on footwear. Spray deodorants and antiperspirants are also mentioned as are medicated insoles and antibacterial socks for particularly difficult problems. The web site also has a three-minute video clip where a podiatrist provides more general advice on foot health. One tip that is easy to follow is never wear the same shoes two days in a row. Always allow at least 24 hours for shoes to dry out before wearing them again. This web site will not win any prizes for design or innovation but it does provide good sound advice that is easy to understand and follow.

My home remedieswww.myhomeremedies.com/topic.cgi?topicid=239

This is an interesting web site in that almost all the content is provided by other users rather than the publisher of the site. Interestingly the first text a user comes across on entering the web site is a disclaimer warning users that the information on the site “should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.” It goes on to say that users “should not use any home remedy or other self-treatment without being advised to do so by a physician.” All a bit scary, what home remedies are users going to come across? The first submission out of the 31 available that deal with smelly feet suggests that the problem can be dealt with by washing feet in water containing a small amount of bleach (the exact amount is not given). As well as the specific suggestions users can also comment on the remedies suggested by others and even vote for it on a ten-point scale, though most seemed to score 5 and there were no scores over 6. Many of the remedies suggested are variations on a theme, i.e. washing feet in various solutions containing things like, vinegar, baking soda, peroxide, Listerine (the mouth wash) and even cold tea! Perhaps the most bizarre suggestion, and certainly the one that had most comments attached, was the advice to urinate on your feet! It seems the urea in the urine is an antibacterial and is effective for both smelly feet and athletes’ foot problems. Although most of the comments thought this idea gross in the extreme, it probably does have some scientific basis and the author did suggest that the urination should take place while having a shower! So although it may seem a strange suggestion, treating smelly feet by urinating on them is practical and in all likelihood does work.

The main limitation with this site is that it does not include any suggestions for preventing smelly feet in the first place. There is no mention of what causes the bacteria to thrive, the need to let footwear dry thoroughly before wearing again, but that is probably due to the nature of this home remedy web site. Despite the dire warnings on the home page, there was nothing on this part of the web site that would cause any concern, but as always users need to be careful if they choose to use untested remedies of the types suggested here.

Healthy feet storewww.healthyfeetstore.com/smelly-feet-information.html

The healthy feet store web site is based in San Diego, North America, and is owned by a qualified podiatrist, Dr Jeffery Hurless, so we do know that the information provided comes from a legitimate source. Another feature that gives users confidence in this web site is the HONcode logo that can be found at the bottom of the page. HONcode is a standard for trustworthy health information and users can click on the logo to verify that this web site meets these standards. Unfortunately when you look at the HONcode certificate of compliance for this web site it appears that it ran out in February 2013, though this is probably an oversight rather than a real problem. The HONcode certification system is an excellent way assuring lay users as to the veracity of the content and it would be good if more health education web site made use of this.

The healthy feet store web site provides users with access to many different products related to foot care but it also dispenses free advice on topics such as smelly feet. The content of this section is excellent with an accurate description of the causes of smelly feet, sound advice on footwear and the need to let sweat thoroughly evaporate before wearing the shoes again. If the problem persists then there is a link to a smelly feet and foot odour remedy page. Here users will find dozens of products ranging from tea tree oil foot soap, cedar shoe trees for men and women, many different types of insole, and socks made with copper, wool, cool max and other moisture-wicking fibres. This is a commercial web site but fortunately users are not bombarded with advertisements as they are on other similar sites. Although the products sold can be shipped from North America if required I suspect that many of these items will be widely available in other parts of the world and of course the advice and guidance offered if free to anyone with access to the internet.