Soaking your feet before bed is better than taking tonics! 4 taboos of foot bathing in summer

Many people think that feet can only be soaked in winter, but in fact, feet should be soaked in summer as well. Summer is hot and humid, which can easily cause symptoms such as loss of appetite, drowsiness, and lack of energy. Soaking your feet in warm water can help remove heat and dampness and promote sleep. Of course, there are some things to pay attention to when soaking your feet.

Soaking your feet before bed is better than taking tonic medicine

There are also some rules for foot soaking. “Washing feet before going to bed is better than taking tonics.” Soak your feet in warm water at about 40℃ (the water should cover the ankle joints) before going to bed. Soak for 20 to 30 minutes each time (you can add hot water to maintain the water temperature during this period). It is best if your skin is slightly red after soaking. At the same time, you can massage your toes and soles of your feet with your hands. Generally speaking, a foot bath once a night can achieve the purpose of health care. It is best to go to bed within half an hour after bathing. It is also possible to bathe your feet twice a night (usually once at 10 am and once before going to bed at night).

The foot soaking time should not be too long each time, but it should be appropriately extended for chronic rheumatoid arthritis, chronic hypertension, etc. The specific time needs to be gradually adjusted according to the age, gender, medical condition, etc. of the person soaking the feet and the feelings after soaking the feet.

Different Chinese medicine foot baths have different indications

In order to get rid of heat and dampness in the summer, you can also soak your feet in the decoction of Patchouli. Take 30-50 grams of Patchouli, put it in 2000 ml of water, boil it over high heat for 40 minutes, then simmer it over low heat until it turns to 1000 ml. After taking the juice, add 2000 ml of water and boil it until it turns to 1000 ml. Put the two portions of the juice in a basin and soak your feet, and the amount of the juice should be enough to soak your ankles. A foot massage is performed during the soaking process.

Different Chinese herbal decoctions for foot bath have different indications, such as dizziness, headache, insomnia, tinnitus, colds, eczema, tinea pedis, rheumatic joint pain, heel pain, low back pain, sciatica, hypertension, diabetes, etc. You should ask a Chinese medicine doctor with clinical experience to prescribe a Chinese medicine prescription for foot bath based on your specific situation.

There are also dos and don'ts for family foot bath

1. It is not suitable to soak your feet when you are too full or too hungry.

In summer, you should avoid soaking your feet when you are too full, too hungry or have eaten, because foot bathing will speed up blood circulation throughout the body, which may cause dizziness and discomfort. It is not advisable to soak your feet within half an hour after a meal, as it will affect the blood supply to the stomach.

2. Patients with athlete's foot should be careful of infection

People with athlete's foot should not soak their feet in hot water when the condition is severe enough to cause blisters, as this can easily cause wound infection. It is not easy to soak feet if you have foot inflammation, skin disease, trauma or skin burns.

3. Don’t soak your feet for too long

Soaking your feet for too long can cause symptoms such as sweating and palpitations. Therefore, it is best to soak your feet for 20 minutes before going to bed every day.

4. The water for foot bathing should not be too hot

Just wash your feet thoroughly with warm water every day. After washing, you can gently massage your feet to relax your muscles and bones.