Smelly Feet

Smelly Feet

We all know what smelly feet are like, either personally or from someone that we know after they have removed their shoes. The cause of this smell is from perspiration or sweat, but is appears to be much more offensive than sweat from other parts of the body.

Our feet contain a larger number of sweat glands than the rest of the body, even the armpits of groin. When sweat is produced the bacteria on our skin digests the sweat and produce the offensive smell. Why it is smellier around the feet is because the smell is trapped by socks or footwear, and the bacteria can thrive and produce more by-products that remain trapped until the footwear is removed.

Why some people have particularly smelly feet is that they produce more sweat than other less fragrant people.

In order to deal with smelly feet you will need to reduce the amount of perspiration surrounding the feet, reduce the amount of bacteria on the skin of the feet, or a combination of these.

Use an antibacterial soap to clean the feet, preferably both morning and evening. Change socks and stockings daily, and allow footwear to air and dry out before wearing them again if possible. Limit wearing closed-in footwear as much as possible and try to wear boots only when necessary for safety. Wear socks made of natural material such as cotton or wool as this will help to absorb and disperse perspiration around the feet. It may be helpful to change socks during the day to alleviate foot odour, and definitely use socks in sports shoes that are designed to ‘wick’ or remove perspiration away from the feet.

Your community pharmacy has preparations that may be used on shoes in order to assist footwear to become dry and odour-free. They also have treatments for reducing excessive perspiration and to determine if other conditions such as tinea that may worsen smelly feet are also present. Talk to your pharmacist they have help and advice to assist your feet and footwear to become sweet smelling again.

Swallowing difficulties (dysphagia)

Causes of swallowing difficulties

Swallowing difficulties can happen at any age. There are a wide range of causes for them, including:

some medicines, such as antipsychotics
heartburn and acid reflux
cancer, such as mouth or throat cancers
nervous system or brain disorders
muscle disorders
blockages or structural issues with your mouth, throat or oesophagus.

Symptoms of swallowing difficulties

Symptoms of swallowing difficulties may include:

coughing or choking when eating or drinking
bringing food back up, may be through your nose
the feeling that food is stuck in your throat
having issues chewing your food
problems with dribbling.

Swallowing difficulties can cause weight loss, dehydration and chest infections.

Diagnosing swallowing difficulties

Let your healthcare provider know if you have swallowing difficulties. They will ask you about your symptoms and check if any other health conditions you have may be the cause.

Your healthcare provider may refer you to a specialist for tests. These may include a:

gastroscopy—a camera is passed down through your mouth to look at your throat and stomach
swallowing study—your throat and stomach are x-rayed as you swallow small amounts of food.

Treating swallowing difficulties

How your swallowing difficulties are treated depends on the cause and how severe it is. Treatments may include:

medicines to treat acid reflux
swallowing therapy with a speech and language therapist
making changes to what you eat and drink, such as softer foods and using thickener in drinks
using special spoons, plates and cups
surgery to widen your oesophagus.
using special medication lubricants eg Gloup to help make it easier to swallow tablets etc. For more information click here.

Self care for swallowing difficulties

As well as seeing your healthcare provider, the following tips may help you to get food or liquids into your stomach.

Sit upright in a chair—at a table is best.
Have regular small meals instead of the main large meals.
Eat or drink small mouthfuls at a time.
If your voice is gurgly when you eat or drink, give a small cough to make sure your airway is clear.
Wet food will be easier to swallow as dry food can catch in your throat.
If your food has 2 consistencies, such as fruit in juice and cereal in milk, try to mix it into 1 consistency, or eat the solid and liquid portions separately.
Concentrate on eating and avoid talking.
Hot, ice-cold or fizzy liquids are easier to swallow than room temperature liquids.
If you are told to have thickened liquids, avoid ice-cream and jelly as they thin before swallowing.
Drink from the top half of you cup to avoid tipping your head back.

Have a look at our range of Gloup medication lubricants here which can help with difficulties swallowing tablets...

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