What’s That Smell?

You take your shoes off after a long day at work and your spouse moves to the other side of the room. Even the dog runs for cover! What causes your feet to smell so bad? And a better question, what can you do about it?

Extreme foot odor, also known as bromhidrosis, is usually caused by excessive perspiration or moisture, producing an environment perfect for the growth of bacteria and fungus. This bacteria and fungus create the room clearing foul odor when you take off your shoes. Worse, it can lead to fungal infections such as athlete’s foot.

Here are some practical tips:
Do your feet and shoes stink?
  • Dry your feet well after showering and putting on your shoes

  • Wear sandals in the warmer summer months

  • Change your shoes and socks frequently

  • Rotate your shoes, especially sneakers, wearing different ones each day

  • Invest in insoles that help keep odors at bay

  • Use a foot powder to keep feet moisture free

  • Brew some tea and soak your feet in it! (Tannic acid helps reduce foot odor)

  • Monitor what you eat – spicy foods may cause your feet to sweat more

Foot odor, while unpleasant, is nothing to be overly concerned about. However, if it lingers, even after you have tried the solutions above, ask yourself this: Why is my body unable to control this bacteria and fungus? Managing bacteria and other unwelcome guests is the function of your immune system, which receives direction from your nervous system. Which is naturally the focus of your chiropractic care.

Dr. Marsteller Asks some important questions of interest to WashingtonTownship residents - Chiropractor WashingtonTownship Dr. Marsteller Asks...

How could a child benefit from chiropractic?
Regardless of our age, each of us in WashingtonTownship encounters physical, chemical and emotional stresses that exceed our ability to handle. For newborns, it could be the trauma encountered at birth. For toddlers it could be from learning to walk or ride a bike. Many of the problems we chiropractors see in adults are the result of neglected traumas from childhood.
What controls every cell, tissue and organ of your body?
DNA? Wrong. Immune system? Wrong? Hormones? Wrong. It's your nervous system, consisting of your brain, spinal cord and all the nerves of your body. When a chiropractor sees a WashingtonTownship patient with say, stomach problems, we want to know why the brain is unable to properly control and regulate the stomach. Which prompts us to examine the nervous system—the focus of chiropractic care.