It causes shame or fear of social rejection, but it is one of the most frequent problems. What’s more, even if no one takes it for granted, we have all suffered it or are going to suffer it at some time in our lives.
We talk about smelly feet A reality of which we are little or badly informed.
One of the most uncomfortable pathologies and that can even limit the social activity of those who suffer from it.
In general, most believe that it is a problem associated with a lack of or poor hygiene, but the reality is that this is not always the case.
Its scientific name is podobromhidrosis And it can happen to all kinds of people, regardless of their hygiene, and at any time of the year, although there are certain seasons where bad foot odor is more prone to appear.
Why do feet smell?
The feet have more than 250,000 sweat glands. And the bad smell is produced when the sweat comes into contact with the .
But this excessive sweating, and therefore bad smell, is not always related to poor hygiene, as it can occur for different reasons.
One of them is the mycosisas explained to this portal Rosario Correa, president of the An infectious disease that occurs when a fungus invades a nail causing it to turn yellow and may split or crack.
He is another pathology that can trigger the bad smell and that mainly affects athletes due to excess moisture in the footwear.
The hormonal changes (mainly in adolescence) also play a fundamental role. But the thing does not stop there.
“The fact of using inappropriate footwear or socks favors the appearance of hyperhidrosis (abnormal sweating that does not have to be related to high temperatures or physical exercise) which also triggers bad foot odor”, he indicates.
How to avoid bad smell in the feet?
As long as this excess sweat, and therefore bad smell, is not due to metabolic, kidney or liver diseases, nor is it a consequence of pharmacological treatments, or consumption of toxic substances, there are solutions to avoid this as much as possible. problem.
The podiatrist Rosario Correa gives us some guidelines so that the podobromhidrosis don’t affect our lives.
- daily grooming. An antibacterial gel can be used to eliminate bacteria that may have been created on the feet.
-
Prefer to breathable shoes and socks. In the case of the , it is also essential to change them daily (or more often if you suffer from excessive sweating in this part of the body).
-
Use of flip flops in changing rooms of gyms and swimming pools to prevent getting fungal infections.
-
Do not forget visit the podiatrist. “Go to a specialist if we suspect that this bad smell is being caused by another pathology, to treat it as soon as possible.”
Hyperhidrosis: How is it treated?
When the problem is serious, there are treatments that can help:
- Antiperspirants with medical prescription.
- Botulinum toxin injections. He Botox it works by blocking the nerves that cause sweating. But this effect, as occurs in aesthetic medicine, is temporary. According to experts, it lasts approximately 12 months, which would force us to repeat it annually.
In the most extreme cases, the plantar hyperhidrosis It can be solved by surgical intervention.
This intervention is called Bilateral Upper Thoracic Sympathectomy and it can also be done in the armpits and on the palms of the hands.
It is a minimally invasive surgery in which two small incisions are made in the thorax to insert a clip (which can be removed) to isolate the ganglion that is producing excess sweating.
the comedian david broncanowith sweating problems on the palms of his hands, is one of the familiar faces, along with the influencers Lucía Pombo, who has undergone this intervention, as they themselves have told through social networks.
Although palmar hyperhidrosis does not cause the characteristic foot odor, it is just as uncomfortable and can affect daily life, such as driving or social interaction.