What Causes Itchy Toes and How to Stop That Itch!
Itchy toes are a real pain and generally this is linked to athlete’s foot. However, itchy toes can occur for different reasons, so it’s beneficial to learn a little bit about them before you start dousing yourself with “tough actin’ Tinactin”.
The first and foremost reason that someone gets itchy toes is because of athlete’s foot. The reason its called athlete’s foot is because it’s a condition athlete’s usually get. Whether an athlete is playing soccer, softball or basketball, athletes usually wear a thicker sock and a heavy pair of cleats. In the case we are talking about a basketball player or someone who runs track they are wearing a thick sock but with a cross trainer or basketball shoe made from leather with a thick insole. Wearing a thick sock and a heavy shoe like that will definitely make you prone to athlete’s foot because of the shoe being so tight around the foot drawing heat into the foot for a lengthy period of time.
Before a baseball or football game you can spray the foot with a foot odor spray, or an anti-fungal spray from Dr. Scholl’s, or Tinactin. These sprays are not just anti odor sprays, but they are also preventative for athlete’s foot. There are chemicals in the spray that prevent the foot from sweating as much as it would had you not used it, and the anti-fungal agents begin to kill any fungus on contact if it rears its ugly head. The challenge with using these types of sprays is that if used excessively they can start to dry out the skin and that can also cause itchy toes. It’s sort of a catch 22, but there are ways to deal with it. You can use the sprays if necessary, but try to wash the feet well with a non drying soap while in the bath or shower, and then use a non fragrance foot moisturizer before going to bed. This can be extremely helpful to keep the feet from drying and cracking from the use of the sprays.
The other way to combat itchy toes is to get an anti-fungal cream after getting out of the shower. The best cream around is Clotrimazole. This cream has anti-fungal properties, and is recommended for bad cases of athlete’s foot. This cream is very effective with something as severe as yeast infections as well. The best way to use this is to incorporate this into your daily routine. So, if you shower in the morning, dry your feet off and then put the cream on. If you do it at night, you just follow the same routine. Just make sure that your feet are completely dry before putting the cream on. Make sure that the cream has been evenly spread all over the foot to make sure that any other fungus that is traveling is stopped in its’ tracks. Spread the cream in between your toes and massage it in, then let your feet air dry. Make sure the cream is absorbed before putting on your socks and shoes.
Chilblains is also a cause for itchy toes, but many times those who are affected seem to be bothered even more by the burning sensation. Chilblains are a condition in which the body struggles to react properly to cold temperatures when coming out of warm temperatures. This is usually more noticeable in the feet, and the feet become inflamed, red and swollen. As you can imagine this is very painful, but adults and children have both experienced this. The reaction to the cold isn’t even a result of temperature, but it’s literally an allergic reaction to cold. Patients who have this generally have poor circulation and more than likely a poor diet. Chilblains are usually similar to the look of a lesion, and they are not only red and inflamed, but they are dry and become very itchy and when left unattended they can crack open causing a lot of pain.
If you have this bad reaction called Chilblains, contact a doctor as soon as possible, but try to keep warm and dry. Start soaking your feet in warm water to see if that warms up the body.