Causes and treatments for foot odor

There are many things in life that seem very simple, but in fact they contain a vast amount of knowledge, especially when it comes to human body issues. There is endless knowledge to be discovered in a small part of the body. It is precisely because of this that humans can become the most advanced animals in the world and rule the entire world. Even the strongest people cannot escape the troubles of diseases that are always around them.

Although foot odor is a trivial disease, there are indeed a lot of people suffering from foot odor in their lives. Although I didn't find any serious harm from it, the smell was unbearable for others and it was also very embarrassing for me.

The culprit that causes foot odor is a fungus called Trichophyton, commonly known as Hong Kong's foot fungus, which produces an unpleasant odor after decomposing skin metabolites.

Because the soles of the feet have more sweat glands than other parts of the body. There are about 620 sweat glands per square centimeter on the soles of the feet, while there are only 143 to 339 sweat glands per square centimeter in other parts of the body. When people become more active, the weather is hot, they are nervous, or they eat spicy or hot food, they will sweat a lot. After sweating, the humidity and pH value inside the shoes provide a suitable growth environment for bacteria. In addition, the necrotic stratum corneum of the skin provides sufficient nutrition for the bacteria, allowing them to multiply in large numbers, decomposing keratin and mixing with urea and lactic acid in sweat to produce an unpleasant odor.

The causes of foot odor are caused by the combined effects of the following factors:

1. Humid environment: The soles of the feet are a sweaty environment. There are more than 600 sweat glands per square centimeter on the soles of the feet, which is 2 to 4 times more than other parts of the body. There are a total of more than 250,000 sweat glands that can secrete nearly 500 ml of sweat a day. In addition to water and salt, sweat also contains lactic acid and urea. When the moisture content is high, it is very conducive to the growth and reproduction of bacteria and mold.

2. Stuffy and enclosed space: When shoes are worn tightly and have poor ventilation, in addition to increasing moisture, the pH value on the skin surface will change from the original pH 4.4 to around pH 7, and carbon dioxide gas will be released. This environment is most suitable for the growth of certain bacteria on the soles of the feet.

3. Bacterial growth: The combined effect of the first and second factors causes the growth of bacteria on the foot skin. These bacteria can decompose the keratin in the skin and the urea and lactic acid components in the foot sweat to form various metabolites with odor, such as

(1) Brevi Bacterium can decompose methione, a component of keratin, into methyl mercaptan. The smell of this metabolite is very similar to the smell of fermented cheese.

(2) The fat components in sebum are broken down by Staphylococcus aureus to form short-chain fatty acids.

(3) Urea in sweat is broken down into ammonia by bacteria.

When these odors are mixed together and tightly trapped in non-breathable socks, they will form unpleasant foot odor.

4. Fungal reproduction: A hot and humid environment will cause fungus to grow and cause foot odor, commonly known as athlete's foot. The symptoms of athlete's foot are very diverse, and not all athlete's feet have a bad smell. The type of athlete's foot that is most likely to cause foot odor is the type where the skin between the toes is wet and rotten, and the foot odor is the most serious.

5. Excessively thick old keratin: Excessively thick old keratin, under the infiltration of sweat, will become a source of nutrition required by bacteria and mold, promote the proliferation and reproduction of bacteria and mold, and worsen the formation of foot odor.

Treatment

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Use professional deodorant drugs and hygiene products, and utilize antibacterial drugs (such as alcohol with a concentration of more than 70%) to inhibit the growth of bacteria on the feet, thereby achieving the purpose of deodorization. People with smelly feet can buy it conveniently by themselves and it is easy to use. Just apply it on the soles of your feet or the base of your toes after washing and drying your feet. A single use can last for 7-14 days and can gradually alleviate symptoms.

Precautions

Athlete's foot (foot odor) is caused by excessive secretion of the body's small sweat glands, which produce a foul odor when decomposed by bacteria and mold. Sweating makes it easier for bacteria to multiply, so foot odor is often associated with hyperhidrosis.

(1) Pay attention to cleanliness, keep your skin dry, keep your feet clean, wash them several times a day, and change your socks frequently.

(2) It is not advisable to wear non-breathable shoes such as sports shoes and hiking shoes to avoid excessive foot sweating and worsening foot odor.

(3) Actively eliminate the inducing factors, such as foot sweating, athlete's foot, etc.

(4) Avoid eating foods that can easily induce sweating, such as hot peppers, raw onions, raw garlic, etc.

(5) Keep calm. Excitement can easily induce excessive sweating and worsen foot odor.

(6) This disease is mainly treated with external treatment

With the development of modern society and the continuous improvement of people's living standards, it is inevitable to take off your shoes when entering someone else's home. At this time, smelly feet can make people very embarrassed. Therefore, treating foot odor is not only a way to treat physiological problems, but also a way to save people's face. For many people, face is more important than life.