Healthy Swellness: Keeping your feet healthy

December 30, 2016

Maybe it’s because I’m a runner, and also a bit of a germaphobe, but I’m pretty sure I think about my feet and their health more than the average person: I stare at what might be slight bunions from wearing uncomfortable narrow-fitting heels too often; I reluctantly tiptoe barefooted across yoga studio floors and in change rooms, afraid of getting athlete’s foot or a nail fungus. While I’ve never had a fungus infection diagnosis, I know they are pretty common, and my feet have gone through a lot, including one black toenail (thanks to it getting bruised while running a half-marathon).

Our feet are a common area for injury. So you shouldn’t be ashamed of a foot ailment such as a fungal infection because chances are most of us have been there, done that. Toenail fungus infections in fact account for 50 percent of all nail problems. And 2.4 million Canadians suffer from this type of infection, also called onychomycosis. So how to be proactive and keep your feet in good condition?

Air out your footwear. Keep your feet clean and dry by making sure your shoes are dry; and you can prevent them from becoming moist breeding grounds for bacteria by taking out the liner inside your shoes and having your footwear air out near a heater.

Don’t let your feet remain in pools of your sweat. So this means regularly changing your socks (especially so if you’re doing a sport such as running or skiing) and sticking to a breathable material such as wool so that the sweat is kept away from your skin.  Cotton, on the other hand, traps moisture and will help bacteria proliferate.

Keep your toenails clipped short and straight across. And while I don’t follow this rule (what can I say, I like pretty pedicured toes!), nailfungus.ca says it’s better to keep your toenails bare (so that your nails are exposed to air) rather than polished.

Practice safe walking. Toenail fungus can be transferred from person to person and even from one toenail to another, so it’s best to not walk barefoot at public pools, public showers and locker rooms. I always bring a pair of inexpensive flip flops when I know I’ll be getting ready at the gym.

Even if you follow all of these careful rules, though, it is possible that you will still get exposed to the dreaded f-word, but if you get a fungal infection, it doesn’t mean all hope is lost and that you have to hide your feet forever. The most frequently prescribed treatment is 10% efinaconazole—more commonly known as Jublia—and it’s been shown to be effective at managing the infection.

If you suspect you have a nail fungus infection, speak to your GP or dermatologist so you can get the right treatment and back on the healthy path.

(This article was in partnership with nailfungus.ca and developed with information obtained from the Toenail Fungus Information (TIP) program.)

Filed under: Healthy Swellness

Tags: black toenail, health, healthy feet, jublia, nail fungus, nailfungus.ca, nails, pedicure, sponsored