Why do the Feet Smell?
The primary cause of stinking feet is sweat. There are more than 250,000 sweat glands in each of our feet. On a hot day, a foot can release more than a pint of sweat! Sweat is little more than salty water and doesn’t have a characteristic smell of its own.
So, what causes the bad odor?
There are bacteria to be found on our skin. They don’t smell of their own but sweat stimulates them and they grow and produce their familiar bad smell!
But how come is it that our face doesn’t stink? I guess it does have bacteria!
Certainly, it does have bacteria but different things occur when your face sweats. The face is normally not covered, so as soon as the face sweats, vaporization takes place and bacteria on the skin don’t get any stimulants. On the other hand, our feet are normally covered with socks and the shoes which don’t allow vaporization; the bacteria feed on the accumulated sweat to produce a bad smell.
I’ve got a friend but his feet don’t smell as bad as mine! What is the cause?
Psychological factors come into play. Some people sweat more than the others; thus, the bacteria have more food to feed on and thus produce a worse smell. If put simply; it is possible that your feet sweat more than your friend’s.
There are other reasons too and one of them is micrococcus sedentarius. Some people have these bacteria on their feet. Micrococcus sedentarius produces a volatile organic substance which produces a really bad smell. These bacteria are found in 10-15% of the people.
Is there a way to reduce the intensity of smell or to do away with it all together?
One can began by reducing the number of bacteria on the feet and by decreasing the sweat that is accumulates on the feet. In simple words, it depends upon how clean you can keep yourselves. Here is what you can do:
(1) Use an anti-bacterial soap to wash your feet
(2) Don’t wear dirty socks
(3) Give your shoes a chance to breath i.e. don’t wear the same shoes everyday.
That was about the bacteria. How about the sweat that accumulates?
(1) One can opt for well ventilated shoes instead of boots in the summer.
(2) Socks absorb sweat so forget not to not wear them. Prefer socks of cotton.
(3) If possible, change your socks twice a day.
(4) There are absorbents in the market for shoes. You can use them.
(5) Antiperspirants can be used on your feet.
What if none of this works?
Go and see a doctor. There are a lot of drugs in the market but let the doctor prescribe the one best for you.
