Ultan Molloy, MPSI, HealthWest Community Pharmacy this week discusses the importance of looking after your feet.
With summer just beginning, we are all hoping it will be bright and sunny. Many of us will be out walking and jogging so it is important to consider care of our feet. While we use them every day, we sometimes neglect them.
One group of people who need to take especially good care of their feet all year around are diabetics. Diabetic feet should be checked daily for any signs of change or damage and regularly by your chiropodist. You will need more frequent checks by your chiropodist if your condition progresses. Detect and manage problems early, control infection, and take good care of wounds.
We all must ensure that we have good arch support in all our shoes. Good support will have a positive effect on your posture, hip positioning and gait (how you walk ) and may help treat and prevent problems with your back and other positioning issues. If you are walking, running, or playing sport then good arch support is especially important to prevent injury. Orthotic insoles are often appropriate and will help prevent and treat some of these issues. Ask your physiotherapist, chiropodist, GP or pharmacist for information on orthotic insoles and choice of footwear.
Athlete’s foot fungal infection, corns, calluses and verrucae can often be readily treated using products available from your pharmacist. Ask your pharmacist first for advice on treatment if you think that you may have any of these foot complaints.
Contact Ultan Molloy, MPSI , BPharm (Hons ), MSc, MA, Cert Clin Pharm at HealthWest Community Pharmacy, Ballindine on 094 936 4712.
