Many
myths and old wives’ tales are fun to laugh at; however, when they involve your
health, you must get your facts right, or run the risk of making worse
seemingly harmless conditions. From cuts and bunions to broken ankles, you do
have anecdotal myths galore; but podiatrists advice getting right the facts
behind them instead of blindly believing them. We bust five common foot care
myths here for your benefit.
Myth-1: Shoes trigger bunions
Fact: In most cases, bunions stem from either congenital
deformities (which refers to deformities present at birth) or inherited faulty
foot types. Foot injuries too can trigger bunions. Although many wrongly
believe bunions are inherited conditions, the foot type lies at the root of the
problem. Wearing high heels or shoes that are too tight and narrow can crowd
your toes and increase your risk of bunions or worsen them over time; but shoes
are not the culprit to blame.
Myth-2: My injured ankle/foot isn't broken if I can walk on
it
Fact:
Despite the extent of your
injury and the level of pain you can bear, it’s not impossible to walk on a
broken ankle/foot. However, podiatrists strictly advice against doing this,
since it will worsen the damage already caused by the broken bone. It’s wise
not to put any undue pressure on it (by standing, walking, etc.) and to get
your injured foot diagnosed immediately by a foot doctor. You may apply ice on
the injured foot and keep it elevated to get some relief from the pain.
Myth-3: Foot pain with old age is normal
Fact: Suffering from foot pain isn’t normal, no matter what your age is.
Therefore, instead of taking old age as the cause of any foot pain that you
might be experiencing and neglecting the condition, you should make an
appointment with your podiatrist right away. A proper diagnosis of the
condition is necessary for timely treatment and quick relief from the
pain.
Myth-4: Any foot wound would heal on its own
Fact:
Remember that a
majority of deep wounds won’t heal on their own. It is important therefore to
get your foot wound examined by a podiatrist within 24 hours. If you wait for
too long, the wound may become infected. In some cases, the condition may
worsen and require hospitalization that might end in amputation. Limb loss statistics
of the Amputee Coalition of America show that almost 185,000 lower extremity
amputations are recorded in the US on a yearly basis and an estimated 2 million
Americans live with limb loss.
Myth-5: Duct tape can ‘suffocate’ warts
Fact:
Warts are commonly caused by viral
skin infection and you can’t
suffocate them with duct tape. This is especially true if you have pre-existing
conditions like diabetes or suffer from neurological, immunological, or
circulatory problems: you need to be extremely careful with warts removal,
which should ideally be done under professional care. It’s best to consult your
podiatrist for carrying out the right process of warts removal rather than try
doing it on your own with duct tape: it could aggravate the harm already done instead
of doing any good.
Don’t neglect your
foot and ankle conditions, carried away by common myths. Treat them in earnest
by consulting an experienced and reputed podiatrist for the
right diagnosis and treatment.
