Dear Foot Blogger Chick,
My feet itch! It seems worse when I get in bed at night. I end up rubbing my feet together like I am trying to start a fire. Why are they so itchy?
Itchy Scratchy
Dear Itchy,
There are several causes for itchy feet. While it is okay to itch your hands, itching your feet is not socially acceptable. There just something about itchy feet.
So, let’s see what we can do to get that problem solved.
There are several reasons that you could have itchy feet. Some of the reasons are things that might not occur to you right away. The first and easiest reason for itchy feet is that your feet are really dry. This is especially true in areas where the air is dry (think leaves in the fall – they dry up and so does your skin). If your itchiness is from dry skin, you need to moisturize. While you are putting moisturizer on your hands, face, arms, and legs, include your feet. Also, when you go to bed at night, slather on moisturizer and put on a pair of socks. That will help the moisturizer to soak in overnight. You might also want to use a pumice stone when you are bathing to rid your feet of the dead skin. If you aren’t sure how to use a pumice stone, here is a link to instructions:How to use a Pumice stone
Now, there was no mention about a rash on your feet. Athlete’s foot is another reason for itchy feet. Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is a fungal infection that is often – but not always- picked up from the gym or showers. It is a red itchy rash that can be on the bottom of your foot or just between the toes or both. I have talked about Athlete’s feet before and you can look at that information at The foot blogger chick talks athlete’s feet
Eczema is another type of rash that can occur on feet and make them itchy. There are several types of eczema and eczema can unfortunately look a lot like Athlete’s foot. One type of eczema is dyshidrotic eczema which occurs on the tips or sides of your toes. There is also atopic dermatitis which occurs more in infants or children but can be associated with those who have allergies or asthma. Atopic dermatitis eczema looks like areas of scaly, thickened skin. All eczema types are itchy and uncomfortable. With eczema, you want to keep the area moisturized and dry. You may also need prescription medicine from your friendly local podiatrist.
Contact dermatitis can occur when your skin comes in contact with something you are allergic to or an irritant. This one is my favorite – did you know that you can have a reaction to the inside of shoes? Yes, some people are allergic to the lining or adhesives in some shoes. Wow! That would be so sad. Imagine, you find shoes that you love and then you can’t wear them because you are allergic to the inside of the shoe. There are many things that you can be allergic to when it comes in contact with your skin – think poison ivy, adhesive tape, or perfumes in products.
I can’t tell you how you can tell each of these rashes apart. There are pictures of the different rashes but really, they are not very appealing. The smartest thing to do is for you to go and visit your friendly local podiatrist. The doctor can identify the type of rash and direct you either an over the counter medicine or a prescription.
So hopefully you can solve your “itchies” fairly quickly. It isn’t much fun to spend your nights itching away under the sheets.
Your pal,
Foot Blogger Chick
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to send them to footbloggerchick@gmail.com or leave them in the comment section below. I am not a doctor but I check with one before answering questions.
Trivia Question of the week – Were the people in Grant Wood’s famous painting, American Gothic, farmers?
Find the answer on our Facebook page – Evanston Podiatric Surgeons – on Friday, January 11th. While you’re there, please take a moment to “like” us.
Or
Follow us on twitter – @EvPodiatric and the answer will be tweeted on Friday morning as well.
The very nice doctors at Evanston Podiatric Surgeons have opened a new location! They are very excited to have an office on the “Magnificent Mile” in Chicago. So, if live or work downtown, help is even closer! Stop in and say “Hello and Congrats”. They would love to meet you. They are really that friendly!
Mag Mile Foot and Ankle Institute
333 N. Michigan Avenue Suite 1825
Chicago, IL 60601
312-236-3507