Natural Causes for Dry Cracking Feet
Dry and cracked heels are a universal issue. For that you don’t have to walk on burning coals. Most of the time applying moisturizers and various creams may not help your problems as a lot of chemicals are involved in this. Many people prefer natural remedies for their bodies rather than being tortured by too much chemicals.
What is Dry, Cracked feet?
This is a usual foot problem in both the genders. Dry skin condition also known as xerosis, is the cause behind dry cracked feet. The cracks in your heel of the foot become obvious forming calluses, often, which leave a yellow or dark brown discoloration. These cracks cause considerable pain if continues to worsen. It is easy to detect this condition of dry, cracked skin by identifying red or flaky patches; peeling or cracked skin; discharge or bleeding. Skin can also start itching more than usual.
What causes Dry, Cracked Feet?
For you to get rid of this problem you need to go to the root cause of this condition. The causes can be several such as:
- Longer Periods of Standing:
Standing for long periods of time, be it due to the mounds of work in your office (especially on hard floors), or running around for groceries, it can mean a wreck for your feet.
- Obesity:
If you are overweight then there is a probability of increased burden on your knees and feet which may cause high pressure on the fat pad located under your heel. You are in bad if your skin is not flexible but rigid, this will cause the fat pressure to create cracks in your skin.
- Type of shoes:
Avoid shoes with open backs or too tight sandals because these will cause your feet, dry cracks in the heel of your feet due to lack of support of a fat pad in an appropriate shoe.
- Diseases and Skin Conditions:
Some diseases are quite prone to appear if you have symptoms of dry skin e.g., Diabetes, which is famous for putting your feet in danger. Many more known skin conditions put your feet through dryness and cracks like eczema or psoriasis. Other conditions like Athletes’’ foot and thyroid disease also are in for causing these symptoms.
- Bodily Factors:
If you have too much sweating issue or if you are a victim of heel spurs then you will have prone dry or cracked feet most probably. The shape of your feet is also responsible for these happenings, as seen in people with flat feet or high arches.
- Surgery:
If surgery is done to your foot regarding the lower extremities can cause dryness and cracks in your feet.
- Your walk:
People who are victims of abnormality and show inconsistence in their walk put extra pressure on their heel of foot causing cracks.
- Hot water:
Do not; for the sake of pleasure keep immersing your feet in excessive hot water as it increases the risk of suffering dryness and cracks.
Risk Factors and Negative Effects
Although dryness and cracks in your feet are mainly a cosmetic issue but some people fight with fissures and deep cracks that cause them to hardly walk without wincing and limping. Cellulitis is one of another negative effect of severe dry feet which enables the patient to form fever, headaches and nausea. There are risks involved in all these conditions:
- Age:
As you grow older, you lose the elasticity of your skin and it becomes wrinkled, drier and loose.
- Diabetes:
Patients with diabetes have a greater risk of going through the negative effects of dry, cracked skin including the diabetic foot ulcers. You can also loose neurological sense in your foot hence causing you to be unaware of further growing problems.
- Hygiene:
Dirty hygiene will cause more chances of problems regarding your feet and developing dryness in it.
- Improper footwear:
If your shoes do not fit you anymore or if, on the shoe store you fall for a pair not your size, beware! Wearing shoes that do not fit you will always cause you foot problems in the long run. Avoid backless shoes and sandal as they increase your chances of getting dryness and cracked heels.
- Climate:
If your area has a climate which is humid or dry, both can cause your skin all over dry and weak hence causing cracks.
- Poor diet:
What you eat is what shows on your body. So if you have been eating a lot of unhealthy junk than obviously your skin will show signs of it. Take a lot of vitamins, minerals and zinc.