What Are the Causes of Smelly Foot Odor?

Foot odor is because there are many sweat glands in the feet and it is easy to sweat. In addition to water and salt, sweat also contains lactic acid and urea. Under sweaty conditions, the bacteria on the feet multiply and break down keratin, plus urea and lactic acid in sweat, which will give off a stinking smell. If the shoes are not breathable and air is not flowing, the odor will accumulate and become stronger, and the odor will be extremely strong.

Foot odor

Foot odor is because there are many sweat glands in the feet and it is easy to sweat. In addition to water and salt, sweat also contains lactic acid and urea. Under sweaty conditions, the bacteria on the feet multiply and break down keratin, plus urea and lactic acid in sweat, which will give off a stinking smell. If the shoes are not breathable and air is not flowing, the odor will accumulate and become stronger, and the odor will be extremely strong.

Foot odor introduction

People usually confuse athlete's foot with athlete's foot odor, in fact they are different.

People with beriberi generally have symptoms such as sweating, foot odor, and itchy feet. Severe patients may experience symptoms such as peeling, redness, blisters, cracks, and ulceration between the toes.

The root cause of foot odor is that the skin on the foot sweats more and has a bad smell, which will develop into serious athlete's foot over a long period of time.

Main symptoms of foot odor

The feet have a stronger odor than other parts of the body, and some people even have a foul odor.

Pathogenesis of foot odor

Foot odor

The culprit causing foot odor is a fungus called white fungus, commonly known as Hong Kong foot fungus, which breaks down skin metabolites and produces an unpleasant stench.

Because the sole of the foot is more sweat glands than other parts. There are about 620 sweat glands per square centimeter of the foot center, while the other parts of the body also have only 143 to 339 areas. When people are active, the weather is sweltering, they are nervous, and they eat hot foods, sweat is secreted in large quantities. After sweating, the humidity and pH value in the shoes provide a suitable growth environment for the bacteria. In addition, the skin's necrotic stratum corneum brings sufficient nutrients to the bacteria, so that the bacteria can multiply and decompose keratin and mix the sweat Urea and lactic acid produce an unpleasant odor.

The cause of foot odor is caused by the following factors:

1. Humid environment: The soles of the feet are a sweaty environment. There are more than 600 sweat glands per square centimeter of feet, which is 2 to 4 times more than other parts of the body. In total, more than 250,000 sweat glands can secrete nearly 500 ml of sweat a day. In addition to water and salt, sweat also contains lactic acid and urea. When the water content is high, it is very conducive to the proliferation of bacteria and mold.

2. Sultry airtight space: When the shoes are worn tightly and the air permeability is not good, in addition to increasing the moisture content, the pH value of the skin surface will change, from the original pH 4.4 to about pH 7 , And will emit carbon dioxide gas, this environment is most suitable for the growth of certain bacteria on the soles of the feet.

3. Bacterial reproduction: due to the addition of one or two factors, causing the growth of foot skin bacteria, these bacteria can break down the skin's keratin, and the urea and lactic acid components in foot sweat, forming each of them containing odor Metabolites, such as

(1) Brevi Bacterium can decompose Methionine, a component of keratin, into methyl mercaptan. The smell of this metabolite is similar to the taste of cheese fermentation.

(2) Fat components in sebum are broken down by Staphylococcus aureus, and short-chain fatty acids are formed.

(3) Urea in sweat is decomposed into ammonia by bacteria.

These flavors are mixed together and tightly stuffed in air tight socks, which will form an unpleasant foot odor.

4. Mold reproduction: The hot and humid environment will cause mold to grow and form foot odor, commonly known as Hong Kong feet. Symptoms of Hong Kong feet are very diverse. Not all Hong Kong feet have an odor. The type of Hong Kong foot that is most prone to foot odor is the Hong Kong foot with wet and rotten skin between the toe tendons.

5. Excessively thick old keratin: Excessively thick old keratin, under the infiltration of sweat, will become the nutritional source required by bacteria and molds, promote the proliferation of bacteria and molds, and worsen the formation of foot odor.

Foot odor type

Foot odor

Due to obesity or excessive exercise, excessive sweating in the feet, coupled with wearing shoes and socks with poor air permeability, such as rubber shoes and nylon socks, will cause physiological foot odor if you do not wash your feet often.

As long as you usually wash your feet often, especially after exercising, change your shoes and socks frequently, and wear some breathable shoes and socks to avoid physiological foot odor;

Foot odor pathological foot odor

Pathological foot odor can be induced if the feet are sweaty, wet, or shoes or socks are not ventilated for a long time; or can be transmitted through contaminated bathhouses, swimming pool floors, bath towels, public slippers, foot basins, etc. Sexual foot odor.

In addition to washing your feet frequently, changing shoes and socks frequently, you must also actively cooperate with treatment. After removing the cause, you will reduce or eliminate foot odor.

Causes of foot odor

1. Excessive sweating in the feet. More common in adolescents may be due to instability of autonomic nerves, such as excessive excitement of sympathetic nerves caused by emotional tension, or exercise can make feet sweat too much.

2. Some diseases of the foot, such as skin diseases such as athlete's foot between the toes of the foot.

3, often wear rubber shoes, nylon socks and other breathable shoes, socks and so on.

4, or some people do not pay attention to the cleanliness of the feet, the temperature of the foot skin and sweat to form humidity and dandruff, which constitutes a suitable condition for the growth, reproduction and decay of microorganisms (especially anaerobic bacteria) on the surface of the foot. In addition, organic substances such as uric acid and lactic acid in sweat are decomposed, resulting in malodor. If you do not pay attention to the cleanliness of your feet, it will even promote its odor.

5.Sweating

The feet are sweaty, and the sweat does not evaporate smoothly, which makes the epidermis appear white impregnated, especially between the toes. Severe sweating can cause blisters, erosion, or hyperkeratosis, and it is easy to cause fungal infection and foot odor.

6, damage

After the skin is damaged, it will affect the skin's defense function, make pathogenic fungi more likely to invade and settle, and cause foot odor.

7. Obesity

Obese people are more prone to sweating, wet between the toes, soaked and cause foot odor.

Foot odor hazard

The "foot odor" because of the "stinky smell" will not only cause discomfort to others, but also seriously affect personal confidence. Some patients are even pessimistic and disappointed, lose confidence in life, and even lose their nerves.

Foot odor treatment

Use professional deodorant drugs and sanitary products, and use antibacterial drugs (such as alcohol with a concentration of more than 70%) to inhibit the proliferation of bacteria on the feet to achieve the purpose of deodorization. People with foot odor can easily purchase it by themselves and the use method is simple. It only needs to be applied to the soles of the feet or the feet after washing and wiping the feet. Once used, the effect can be as long as 7-14 days, and the symptoms can be gradually reduced.

Foot odor precautions

Athlete's foot (foot odor) is due to the strong secretion of small sweat glands in the body, and the sweat gland secretions produce foul odor under the decomposition of bacteria and mold. Sweating encourages bacteria to multiply easily, so foot odor is often associated with hyperhidrosis.

(1) Pay attention to cleanliness, keep skin dry, keep feet clean, wash several times a day, and change socks frequently.

(2) It is not advisable to wear non-breathable shoes such as sports shoes and travel shoes to avoid excessive foot sweat and worsened foot odor.

(3) Actively eliminate predisposing factors, such as foot sweat and athlete's foot.

(4) Do not eat foods that cause sweat easily, such as peppers, green onions, and garlic.

(5) Emotions should be quiet. Excitement can easily induce sweating and aggravate foot odor.

(6) The main treatment methods outside the disease

Beriberi

12 tips for deodorizing feet

1. Put quicklime packets into the shoes (the desiccant often used in food such as snow rice cakes).

2. Grapefruit skin is torn into small pieces and put in shoes.

3, put your feet in hot water at 50 to 60 degrees Celsius for several times, 15 minutes each time, 1 to 2 times a day.

4. When washing your feet, add 10 to 15 ml of rice vinegar to the water. After mixing thoroughly, soak your feet for about 15 minutes, once a day, soaking for three to four days, the foot odor will disappear.

5. Pueraria root 15 grams, grind into fines, add 15 grams of white wine, add an appropriate amount of water, wash the feet after frying, once a day, after one week in a row, the foot odor caused by foot sweat can be removed.

6. Before going to bed every night, dipped a small amount of alcohol with a cotton ball or cloth head, and evenly wipe it into the rubber and sneakers just taken off, and then wear it after drying the next morning. After two weeks of doing so, the shoes will not smell.

7. Take an appropriate amount of dehydrated alum or dry lime powder, pack it in a small cloth bag, and put it in your shoes every night before going to bed.

8. Squeeze a few camphor pills into powder and sprinkle them in the cleaned shoes. Put a shoe pad on the pad so that it won't smell bad when worn. The camphor pills cannot be in direct contact with the feet. The camphor pills in it need only be changed once every other week. Camphor pills can have a good bacteriostatic effect, and can kill a large number of bacteria that multiply because of moisture, so that there will be no odor.

9. For newly-purchased rubber and sneakers, spray white wine evenly on the sponge bottom (until the sponge bottom cannot absorb it). After it is dried, it will not produce odor when worn (such as old rubber and sneakers) , After washing it can be treated in the same way).

10. Winter melon skin: Winter melon skin has the effects of heatstroke, spleen, and dampness, and can be used to treat symptoms such as kidney disease, lung disease, heart edema, abdominal distension, and unfavorable urination. Washing your feet with winter melon skin decoction not only treats athlete's foot, but also treats foot odor, killing two birds with one stone.

11. Socks are also susceptible to odor. Pour a little white vinegar into the water for washing the socks, soak them for a while, and then wash them with water. This will not only remove the odor, but also play a role in sterilization.

12. The odor in the shoe cabinet is also well resolved. Just put a piece of soap in the shoe cabinet, you can easily remove the odor in the shoe cabinet. There is a nice smell when you open the shoe cabinet.

Foot odor Chinese medicine small method

1. 30 grams of ephedra root, 15 grams each of cloves, woody incense and cork, decoction, used to wash feet 3 to 4 times a day. Usually it works for several days.

2. 15 grams each of alum and kudzu root, fry with water after grinding, wash feet and soak each eye. Generally more than 10 days can be used more.

3. 30 grams of alum, 6 slices of dried ginger, fried with water, soak the feet with juice, soak twice a day for 30 minutes each time, and the effect is visible for 3 to 5 days.

4. 60 grams each for windproof and self-defeating, 30 grams each for Chuanxiong, Asarum, Atractylodes and Alum. Research together. Bottling for future use. Sprinkle the medicine powder into the shoes when using, and take the medicine once every other day. Or take 20 grams of powdered medicine, put it in the foot basin, and brew with boiling water. When the temperature is appropriate, wash the feet and soak for 15 minutes. Generally effective after 1 week.

Foot odor prevention

Foot odor diet prevention

Some people have a lot of foot sweat. Even if they pay attention to cleanliness and hygiene, foot odor is still obvious. Some special measures must be taken. Young people's excessive sweating of the feet may be related to autonomic nerve disorders. Drugs, such as oryzanol and vitamin B1, generally increase with age, and the phenomenon of excessive sweating in the feet can gradually improve; if hyperhidrosis of the foot is related to emotional tension, you can use some sedatives such as bromide.

Foot odor prevention

Such as sweating the whole body can take a small amount of atropine or belladonna mixture. For people with sweaty feet, after washing their feet with warm water before going to bed every night, they can use 20% aluminum trichloride solution, 20% urotropine solution for external application, or 5% formalin. Apply the solution over. Reduce foot sweat secretion and keep feet dry.

Foot odor foot hygiene

1. Maintain good foot hygiene to reduce bacterial growth is a good start: Soak and rinse your feet with warm water and mild soap at least once a day. For example, a good practice is to wash your feet after taking off your shoes and socks at home, and then thoroughly dry your feet after washing, especially between your toes, to reduce sweat and excessive moisture.

2. Apply talcum powder on the feet to help keep your feet dry.

3. Apply antiperspirant on the feet to reduce foot sweat.

4. Take off your socks or sandals as much as possible to allow the skin on your feet to breathe.

5. Make sure the shoes are of the right size and give your feet a rest, as excessive pressure on your feet can increase sweating.

6, keep your body cool, especially on hot days, because high body temperature will make your whole body (including your feet) sweat more.

Foot odor proper socks

1. Wear clean socks made of cotton, wool or other hygroscopic materials, and thick and soft socks to help absorb sweat.

2. Avoid wearing nylon socks.

3. Always wear socks when wearing sealed shoes.

4. Don't put on the stained socks again.

5. If necessary, socks should be changed frequently to keep your feet dry.

Foot odor proper shoes

1. Wear shoes made of genuine leather, canvas, or other breathable materials.

2. Wear air-permeable shoes (such as slippers) instead of tight shoes (such as boots). Avoid wearing plastic shoes.

3. Sprinkle talcum powder on the inner layer of shoes to help absorb excess moisture.

4, often wash those shoes that can be washed (such as canvas shoes), and dry thoroughly.

5. It is best not to wear the same pair of shoes for two consecutive days. They need time to dry and place the shoes in a ventilated place to completely dry them. For example, if the shoes are placed outdoors, remove the insoles and dry them in the sun.

6. If the smell of shoes cannot be removed even with deodorizing products, throw the shoes away.

7. A layer of breathable and deodorant insoles, such as bamboo charcoal insoles, can be used to prevent foot odor from remaining on the shoes, while shoes are not suitable for wearing leather high boots.

Beriberi

Foot odor specific habits

Specific habit: In daily life, people who have a lot of foot sweat should rotate one shoe and one socks every day. They should always change their shoes and socks to keep the shoes and socks and their feet clean. When washing shoes and socks, put a little salt in warm water, soak it for about 15 minutes, and then wash it with soap. The odor can be largely eliminated. Wash your feet with warm water every night before going to bed. If you put some salt in the foot washing water, it will also have a deodorizing effect, or you can use 3% alum water to wash your feet. If you continue to use it, foot sweat will be significantly reduced, and foot odor will be gradually eliminated or reduced. Cotton insoles with deodorant, antibacterial, anti-ringworm and other multifunctional drug insoles are used for the inner pads of shoes. It is best to have two pairs of shoes. The pads are often changed and washed. Usually wear shoes and socks that are highly sweat-absorbent and easy to breathe. Do not wear sultry, breathable rubber shoes, travel shoes and nylon socks. Changing slippers at noon or at night can also reduce foot odor.

Foot odor daily attention

First, wear airy and breathable cotton socks, change and clean daily.

Second, avoid wearing rubber shoes or air-tight sneakers, it is best to have two pairs of shoes to wear, sandals are the best choice.

3. Do not share shoes, slippers and socks with others.

4. Itching on the soles of your feet and between your toes should not be scratched by hand to prevent transmission to your fingers.

Fifth, do not stop the treatment automatically. Usually, you should continue to use the medicine for several weeks after you are conscious. It is best to check and cultivate the mold. It is negative for three consecutive weeks to be considered a cure.

Foot odor prevention

Some people have a lot of foot sweat. Even if they pay attention to cleanliness and hygiene, foot odor is still obvious. Some special measures must be taken. Young people's excessive sweating of the feet may be related to autonomic nerve disorders. Drugs, such as oryzanol and vitamin B1, generally increase with age, and the phenomenon of excessive sweating in the feet can gradually improve; if hyperhidrosis of the foot is related to emotional tension, you can use some sedatives such as bromide.

Drug prevention

Such as sweating the whole body can take a small amount of atropine or belladonna mixture. For people with sweaty feet, after washing their feet with warm water before going to bed every night, they can use 20% aluminum trichloride solution, 20% urotropine solution for external application, or 5% formalin. Apply the solution over. Reduce foot sweat secretion and keep feet dry.

Foot hygiene

1. Maintain good foot hygiene to reduce bacterial growth is a good start: Soak and rinse your feet with warm water and mild soap at least once a day. For example, a good practice is to wash your feet after taking off your shoes and socks at home, and then thoroughly dry your feet after washing, especially between your toes, to reduce sweat and excessive moisture.

2. Apply talcum powder on the feet to help keep your feet dry.

beriberi

3. Apply antiperspirant on the feet to reduce foot sweat.

4. Take off your socks or sandals as much as possible to allow the skin on your feet to breathe.

5. Make sure the shoes are of the right size and give your feet a rest, as excessive pressure on your feet can increase sweating.

6, keep your body cool, especially on hot days, because high body temperature will make your whole body (including your feet) sweat more.

Proper socks

1. Wear clean socks made of cotton, wool or other hygroscopic materials, and thick and soft socks to help absorb sweat.

2. Avoid wearing nylon socks.

3. Always wear socks when wearing sealed shoes.

4. Don't put on the stained socks again.

5. If necessary, socks should be changed frequently to keep your feet dry.