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Smelly feet can be not only embarrassing but uncomfortable as well. Feet smell for two main reasons you wear shoes and your feet sweat. The interaction between your perspiration and the bacteria that thrive in your shoes and socks generates the odor. So any attempt to reduce foot odor has to address both your sweating and your footwear. The feet and hands contain more sweat glands than any other part of the body and provide a ready supply of perspiration. You're probably familiar with the phenomenon of sweaty palms, but sweat on your hands doesn't produce the same strong odor as sweaty feet. That's because your hands are usually exposed to the air and the sweat has a chance to evaporate.
Feet, however, are trapped inside shoes, where temperatures can easily reach 30deg C. The perspiration moisture combines with the dark warmth to create a fertile breeding ground for the bacteria that normally live on our skin. The bacteria produce isovaleric acid, the substance associated with foot odor. The more moisture there is, the more bacteria proliferate, and the greater the odor. Smelly feet can also be caused by an inherited condition called hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, which primarily affects males. Stress, some medications, fluid intake and hormonal changes also can increase the amount of perspiration your body produces.
Certain bacteria if diagnosed correctly can be effectively treated with topical medicines, visit your Podiatrist if you suffer from this problem.
A general cure which may work is to soak your feet in strong black tea for 30 minutes a day for a week can help. The tannic acid in the tea kills the bacteria and closes the pores, keeping your feet dry longer. Use two tea bags per pint of water. Boil for 15 minutes, then add two quarts of cool water. Soak your feet in the cool solution. Alternately, you can soak your feet in a solution of one part vinegar and two parts water.
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Page last updated 14 October, 2007