AVOIDING TROUBLES in Foot Care
Widest part of your foot and that there is room to extend
your toes fully
What should you look
for in a good shoe?
Soft upper, moderately broad heel, narrow waist, straight
border along the inner sole
Socks and stockings
should be a quarter-inch longer than the longest toe. If you perspire
profusely, wool or cotton may be preferable to synthetic material. Keep the
feet scrupulously clean. Bathe them at least once daily, drying carefully, and
dusting with talcum powder.
It often helps to put them in hot water for a
minute or two, then into cold water for just an instant, after which they
should be rubbed briskly as they are being dried. Tired feet are often relieved
by massage; use a kneading rotary motion of the hands with some plain cold
cream, olive oil, or cocoa butter, if the feet are dry or irritated.
To help
check any unpleasant perspiration, you can use Desenex powder or a preparation
made as follows: Thymol, 0.5 gram Salicylic acid, 2.0 grams Talcum sufficient
to make 100 grams Apply either powder, morning and night. If excessive perspiration
persists, see your doctor.
Don't neglect your
feet. If any kind of trouble develops and persists for more than a few days, do
what you would sensibly do if the trouble were in an arm or the throat or the
chest: Get professional help to diagnose and treat it before it can get worse.
It was Abraham Lincoln who complained: "When my feet hurt, I can't
think." Enough is known today so that with a little forethought, your feet
aren't likely to hurt and you will be less likely to hurt elsewhere. 13. Most common foot problems can be
prevented from happening at all or from recurring. Buy good, and properly
fitted, shoes.
Buy them late in the afternoon; your feet will be bigger then.
Don't tell the salesman your size; let him measure. Make certain the shoes are
wide enough to accommodate the toes.
