So why do feet swell when you fly? – I’m afraid this is another of those wonderful age related phenomenon that is not just a hazard of flying as many of you know!

Feet can swell for a number of reasons, excess weight, poor circulation, pregnancy, bone or joint injury, medication related or, as often as in the case of flying, from prolonged sitting in one position.

Swollen legs whilst flying, is very common and should not for the main part be serious. It occurs from inactivity; sitting for long periods with little movement causing the blood to pool in the lower legs and veins and the associated fluid in the blood leaving the veins and entering the soft tissues of the lower legs, feet and ankles’.

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Bearing in mind how important our feet are to us and how we rely so heavily on them, it never ceases to amaze me just how little attention we afford them. If you think about it, if you had tooth ache would you be tempted to have a go at solving the problem yourself? So why then is it that many people have no qualms at all about a bit of self diagnosis and treatment of the feet?

These are typical examples

A friend of a friend says that her husband has something on his foot – between the two of them they think it’s a verruca – it’s been painful and his GP and Pharmacist both agree that it is a verruca from the description he gives.  The treatment recommended? A salicylic acid home preparation to ‘burn it out’.

Now I have to start by saying that our GPs are very knowledgeable but how on earth can they specialise in every aspect of health – of course they can’t and that is why seeking out a really good foot specialist (Podiatrist or Chiropodist) is really worthwhile. The same applies with the Pharmacist who is led by the patient as far as the history and description of the problem is concerned – no disrespect, but never a reliable starting point.  What can be missed in such instances is that the patient is in his early seventies, where the skin and healing are not what they used to be and the use of acid on skin at this age is very dangerous and can be very problematic, even though the preparation is available over the counter.

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So why do women have cold feet?

How often do you get into bed and immediately rub your feet on the legs of your partner to try to get them warm?

There is good reason for this.  Many people don’t realise the circulatory system of a female is different to that of a male.  Women’s circulation is centred around the female reproductive organs, thereby leaving the extremities, such as the hands and feet, feeling colder as the blood supply in these areas is reduced. This is also the reason that women complain that their partners feet are perfect whilst theirs are not.

Additionally, our feet are subject to the ageing process just like the rest of the body. The more we use them, the more we need to return the favour of some tender, loving care. With the reduction in blood supply, comes the thinning of the skin on the feet, which in turn can give rise to dehydrated and cracked skin as the sweat glands reduce in effectiveness, due to the sub-cutaneous fat layer of the foot becoming lost. Symptoms vary from person to person and can range from very thin dry skin that tears easily and develops cracks, to visibly dehydrated and dry skin; or from build-up of callus and hard skin to painful stiff or swollen joints. Such symptoms may appear together or separately.

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Have you often wondered what all the fuss is about with Diabetes and feet?

Diabetes is a chronic incurable medical condition, in which too much glucose (sugar) is present in the blood. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy.

The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies.  When you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use its own insulin as well as it should.

This causes sugars to build up in the tissues and can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations.

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If you feel your feet are awful and that nothing is ever going to improve them, take heart, help is at hand and I have some great tips and tricks to share with you that you can do at home, to really transform your feet. If you are willing to invest some time in looking after your feet, it will be well worth the effort!

It is surprisingly easy to really transform neglected feet and the results can be truly liberating. At this time of year we are all keen to expose our feet and give them a bit of freedom from socks, tights and closed-in heavy shoes and boots, worn during the winter months. Unfortunately, most of us don’t tend to give much attention to our feet in the winter months, so uncovering them for summer can be daunting or even verging on the traumatic! There are really some relatively easy ways to freshen up your feet and get them looking fit and healthy for summer, so there really is no need to feel embarrassed when you finally bring them out into the open!

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I am always being asked about Verruca, what it is, what does it look like, how it is caught and of course how it can be avoided.

Verruca are known as Common Wart, appearing on the feet and are also known as Plantar Verruca or Plantar Warts. They are caused by the Human Papiloma Virus, in other words, it’s a viral infection that tends to be more common in young people and children rather than adults.

It is a condition often dreaded by families with young children and one that mums can become paranoid about! Many adults, have recollections of getting Verruca’s in their youth and having to undergo the most painful of treatments, often with little or no success  – and now dread that history will repeat itself with their children!

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