Do Our Feet Age?
Foot health is an important issue for people of all age groups, but especially in advanced ages, thinning of the skin and loss of elasticity due to aging cause deterioration of foot health. Examples such as the deterioration in the nutrition of the foot tissues of people with diabetic diseases and vascular diseases, the fingers becoming more sensitive to impacts, the healing times of wounds taking more time, the thickening and yellowing of the nails due to poor circulation show us that foot care is very important in old age. shows. However, the incidence of heel spurs and cracked heels increases with advancing age. For this reason, it is inevitable to pay attention to medical foot care in order to protect foot health and prevent foot health problems in advanced ages. So, how should the feet be taken care of, which become more sensitive with aging?
What Should Be Considered in Foot Care in Advanced Ages?
- The daily cleaning and care of the feet should be done with care and should not be interrupted.
- Shoes made of soft and breathable materials, which are among the healthiest shoe models for use in daily life, should be preferred. In addition, narrow-toed shoes, which are effective in the formation of calluses, should be avoided.
- Medical foot care should be done regularly.
- Personal items such as towels, socks, shoes, nail clippers that belong to someone else should never be used, and all these items should be private to them.
- Care should be taken to cut the nails, cut the nails straight, avoid entering the edges of the nails and shortening the corners of the nails. Wrong nail cuts cause ingrown nails and it takes more time to solve ingrown problems in older ages compared to other ages.
- You should not walk barefoot in public areas such as changing rooms and baths, and slippers should be used.
- Toes should be thoroughly dried after bathing or washing so that the feet are not irritated by moisture. Socks should be replaced with new ones when they get damp, and cotton socks should be preferred when choosing socks.
- People with heel spurs should use heel cushions and suitable insoles.
- The sweating of the feet increases the formation of bacteria and causes foot odor. For this reason, appropriate foot care products should be used with expert support to eliminate foot odor.
- It is necessary to use moisturizer regularly to prevent cracks and drying in the heels.
How Often Should Foot Care Be Taken in Advanced Ages?
Even if the elderly people do not have any foot health problems, it is recommended to have foot care at least twice a year. Apart from this, they need to get help from a specialist without wasting time in unexpected foot health problems. In this way, problems can be resolved before they escalate further.