Why do my feet itch so much? Why does it seem to occur a lot more in the summer despite the fact that I’m not wearing closed in footwear? Why does it scratch more some days but not others? All good concerns! Let us talk a little bit regarding itchy feet.
Many people have itchy feet from basically dry skin. Their skin is more dry in the summertime because they are either going without footwear or wearing flip flops all of the time. They also don’t habitually put moisturizer on like they do in the winter time. They also may be susceptible to dry skin from fundamental medical issues like diabetes, poor blood circulation or hypothyroidism. Fortunately dry skin has a basic repair. Scrub your feet with a combination of a cream or lotion that contains urea or lactic acid in conjunction with a gentle buffer or sand paper. If you do this a few occasions a week, it should reduce all the itching of alligator feet.
But you don’t think you simply have dry skin? Perhaps you have a fungal infection. Persistent itchy feet from an underlying tinea pedis (also known as athlete’s foot fungus) is extremely widespread. It is more common in the summer due to increasingly sweaty feet. Fungus loves sweaty feet! Take a look at the skin on the bottom of your feet and in between your toes. Do you have a wet whitish peeling look to the skin in between your toes? This is called maceration. It happens when you toes are wet a lot or have been submerged in water for a long time; but it is also a hallmark of interdigital tinea pedis or fungus in between your toes. Check out the bottom of your feet. Does the skin have little red bumps or scaling skin in the pattern on very small circles? This is also indicative of fungus. The great thing about athlete’s foot fungus is that it is easily treated with a topical ointment medication and then decontaminating your shoes. Keep your feet clean and dry and make sure you change your socks if you perspire a lot.
So you don’t think its dry skin and really don’t have the hallmark signs of fungus? Another common problem is contact dermatitis. You may have contact dermatitis if you have a red, scaly, itchy rash and it is in the pattern of your new sandals or perhaps socks. You can also get contact dermatitis from a new cream or tanning lotion. Any kind of topical allergen can cause a skin reaction. I’ve even seen dermatitis from an ankle bracelet! Contact dermatitis is usually a new problem and a little detective work will help you find the culprit! Topical treatment with a steroid cream coupled with removing the allergen usually rapidly relieves the itchy rash. Rarely an oral steroid is needed to calm down the itching and alleviate the rash.
Other causes of itchy feet can be any kind of skin problem like eczema or psoriasis. Most people will see a telltale skin rash prior to the itching and are familiar with the symptoms they have in other area of their skin. Treatments vary depending on the underlying skin problem.
So these are the top reasons for itchy feet: chronic dry skin, tinea pedis, or a dermatitis or skin disorder. Itchy feet driving you nuts? If your detective work falls short, and your itching persists; it is time to visit your podiatrist. Skin scrapings or a biopsy can often help find the culprit and eliminate the annoying itch!
