Starting off on the right foot
Starting off on the right foot

Starting off on the right foot

Written by Dr Heather Davies-Strickleton, Senior Analytical Scientist

Now a new year is here we start to take a closer look at ourselves. Our body shape, weight and diet are key areas we frequently try to improve. But what about our foot health? We often neglect to look as far as our feet, which can hold some secrets and sometimes sinister surprises.

Healthy feet are pivotal to good mobility and influence our physical, as well as mental, well-being. The benefits of walking are numerous and span from reduced physical fatigue and better posture to improved creativity and problem-solving.^1-3 With healthy feet we can improve fitness, feel independent and get around our local communities, meeting old friends and making new ones.

While healthy feet can facilitate our lifestyles, having unhealthy feet can hinder us. Unfortunately, foot problems are very common – in a study, called the Achilles Project, over 70,000 GP/dermatologist patients (irrespective of their initial diagnosis) were examined, and it was found that 57 % of patients had at least one foot disease.⁴ Despite the importance of healthy feet and the high prevalence of foot diseases, we don’t always care for our feet as we do other parts of our body, which can allow problems to go unnoticed.

Often the first sign that something is wrong with our feet is when we experience pain or discomfort. For instance, Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) affects 1 in 6 of us and often starts with an irritating itchy rash, but can progress to painful cracking and blistering of the skin.^5-6 Other common foot problems, including ingrown […]

admin2021-05-25T09:01:27+00:00January 10th, 2020|Blog Articles|

Stamping out Athlete’s foot
Stamping out Athlete’s foot

Stamping out Athlete’s foot

Written by Heather Davies-Strickleton, Senior Analytical Scientist

Running into trouble: Athlete’s foot is a common problem

Athlete’s foot needs no introduction. A whopping 1 in 6 of us are estimated to have this fungal infection of the foot (also known as tinea pedis).¹,² It usually starts with an irritating itchy rash between the toes, but can progress to painful cracking and blistering of the skin on the toes and soles of the feet.³ Tinea pedis was first reported in Europe in 1908, before which it was considered a rare phenomenon.⁴ Since then numbers have sprinted forward, likely as a result of occluded (closed) footwear, greater movement of people from place to place and more communal sports and health clubs.⁴

Athlete’s foot occurs because a type of fungus called dermatophytes love to grow in damp, moist places like the areas between our toes.¹ They thrive there in the upper layers of the skin, feeding off the skin protein keratin, resulting in a weakened skin barrier and leading to the subsequent symptoms of Athlete’s foot.¹ When it affects between our toes its known as ‘interdigital’, whilst ‘plantar’ refers to infection found on the sole of the foot. It’s not usually serious but can also spread to other parts of the body, such as the nail (onychomycosis) and […]

admin2021-05-25T09:05:15+00:00December 2nd, 2019|Blog Articles|