Video
Body Check: Feet – Transcript.
Dr Christian:
As feet are usually hidden away in shoes it’s easy to forget how important they are. An average person walks 10,000 steps a day, which over a lifetime adds to a lot of wear and tear; so we should give our feet a lot more attention than we do.To give your feet the once over for any problems you can follow this simple check list.
First, check the skin for any changes. If you spot anything that resembles a verruca, athlete’s foot, blisters or corns then speak to your pharmacist about suitable treatments. And make sure to check for signs of in-growing nails as these can lead to discomfort and they may need to be removed. You should also look for differences in shape. Flat feet are common from birth, but if they develop it could be a sign of an underlying problem. Also check for bunions, which can be genetic but are often caused by ill fitting footwear.And it’s essential to include shoes in your check list. Crushed toes, bunions and ankle problems can all stem from footwear so make sure your shoes fit well and are changed regularly.
Dr Christian: Do you wear a lot of heels?
Girl 1: All the time I wouldn’t go out without them.
Dr Christian: How many pairs of heels do you own?
Girl 1: 45
Girl 2: They look like shoes
Dr Christian: Put your foot on there, What do you see?
Girl 2: Your feet
Girl 1: My foot in ten years
Dr Christian: Can you see a sort of… oh look
Girl 2: It’s your feet.
Dr Christian: Yeh
Girl 1: How embarrasssing
Dr Christian: You have to basically put a big chop in there cut that whole bit out, reset it straight again, big operation, very painful.
Girl 2: That is wrong
Dr Christian: Do you want to end up like that?
Dr Christian:
And note any pain, tingling sensation or numbness that can’t be accounted for, as this could signal something more serious like arthritis or diabetes.
You should also look out for swelling, as this could be a sign of circulation problems, which could stem from diabetes or even a heart condition.
Finally, smell. Stop your feet smelling terrible by keeping them clean and well ventilated, and this means not wearing the same pair of old trainers every day.
For this body check and others featured on the site we want to hear about your findings. So please come back to share your results and discuss them with other site users. If you have any kind of foot pain or persisting problems you should contact your GP or a podiatrist.
Body Check: Feet
In this video Dr Christian talks about the importance of checking your feet. As feet are always hidden away in shoes, it’s easy to forget just how important they are. To check your feet follow Dr Christian’s simple step by step guide.
Check the skin for any changes and look out for anything that resembles athlete’s foot, corns, or verrucas. Also check for ingrown nails as they may need to be removed.
Remember to keep track of any pain, numbness, tingling, swelling or changes in shape, as these could be signs of other underlying conditions.
Add shoes to your checklist as bunions, crushed toes or even ankle problems can all be caused by inappropriate shoes. To avoid smelly feet, change your shoes regularly and keep your feet well ventilated.
We want to hear about your findings, so please click the link below and add your results to our national survey.
+++UPDATE+++
From the 15th – 21st April 2009 we conducted a health survey to find out what were the most common problems that afflicted the nation’s feet.
Over 83% of our respondents were female and the vast majority of these were women under 30 years of age. Shockingly, 25% of people who shared their results with us reported suffering from bunions or hammertoes – conditions which can be genetic but are more often caused by ill-fitting footwear and high heals. Both these conditions require some hefty surgery to put right, so give your feet a night off once in a while, and wear flat footwear whenever possible.
20% of people reported suffering from smelly feet – which is normally nothing to worry about but can be combated by ensuring that you change your shoes and socks regularly.
Flat feet affected around 14% of users, with 7.1% reporting swollen feet. Flat feet are common from birth but if they develop suddenly then you should go to your GP as there may be an underlying problem. Swollen feet can be a sign of lymphatic problems but can also be indicative of problems elsewhere in the body – including the heart, so if they persist, get them checked out by your GP.
Tingling feet affected nearly 1 in 6 people, and if this persists then you should definitely get them checked out as it can be a sign of arthritis, or diabetes.
Other results from the survey revealed that:
10.7% of people suffered with corns
6.8% are suffering with athlete’s foot
11.8% are suffering with verrucas
8.5% have infected nails
11.3% suffer from bunions
14.3% have developed hammer toes
Yes
NoComments and Questions
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Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
The problem i have is that my feet really dont always smell very nice . And when i take my shoes of i notice that it isnt the nicest smell however i looked in the video and it says change your shoes however for work we have a strict uniform so i tend to buy one pair and where the all the time how can i stop having bad smelling feet ?
Hi I keep getting small blisters all over both feet (soles)which are very painfull and also fill with white puss please help I`ve had this problem for 3 years but dont get better. Jim
i was born disabled, and i now have been told by two surgeons that i require a hip replacement but they were not keen because of my undrelying disabilities. a third surgeon has said i might be suitable for a hip repair, which if successful would last a lifetime. has anyone disabled had a successful hip repair?
Hello my name is Thea, I have hip dysplasia and femural retroversion, in other words..... my bones in my hips have twisted and I can turn my feet backwards which felt normal even though I was in soo much pain constantly. It was my primary school teacher who noticed that there was something that wasnt right 3 years ago so mum took me to the hospital where I found out about my condition. Its very unusual as most people with my condition have feet pointing inwards where mine point outwards. Last christmas I had an operation where they sawed through my femur twisted it inwards 30 degrees and pinned and plated it so yes I have had a hip repair and will not know if it worked until I can stand and im due to have the other leg done hopefully this christmas time. So I know how feel to have a hip condition.
I was told recently I have friebergs disease in my feet, I'll fin out for def in the next couple of weeks at least now I have an idea of why I have had a painful foot for years!
i was diagnosed at 13 with this na dwas placed in a cast for two months, the problem seemed to settle but some years later i am suffering again and have been for a few years. my gp has referred me to biomechanics (podiatry). Dont know much about it..what treatments are available...
I have to wear high arch ortho's in my shoe now and def no high heels I'm going to see a surgeon to get their opinion.
is it in both feet, i have it in one foot in the two toes next to my big toe (right foot). i find it difficult to walk with flat shoes. my appoinment is in june so will keep you posted..
Mine is in my 2nd toe on my right foot, I was told at my app today that 90% of friebergs respond to the ortho's but u have to wear them all the time even walking about the house, they try to avoid surgery as it takes about 6 weeks to heal, she told me u wouldn't even be able to stand and make a cup of tea after the surgery!! I'll wait and see what the surgeon says but the referral is going to take 4-6 months! How old are u jan? I'm 28. The information on friebergs isn't very good at all
hi kerry im 42 now, not had much probs over the years but i would say the last 4/5 years ive had pain and i forgot all about my past diagnosis of friebergs it was my mum that reminded me.. i will keep you updated got app on 18th june..
hi im 14 and my feet do tingel some times and its anoying i do mostly wear the same shoes for school is this ok??
Hi, i have very red dry skin on my feet which i treat with a doublebase cream, but at times they get very itchy and have little yellow spots that appear and when i itch it gets better, i have had this problem for 4 years now and i think its getting worse, i love to wear heels and strappy shoes in summer but its embarrassing. i have been to my gp and have had many steriod creams and fungal creams but nothing seems to help and its now speading up to under my ankle. please please advise. :(
Hi im13 and for a while I've been getting bad verrucas and I just hate putting on the cream and hiding my feet do you have any tips for me to get rid of them
I have flat feet which can sometimes be very painful and I have to wear specially molded insoles in my shoes which are ok but makes it difficult to wear certain types of shoes.
Hi, I am 17 and ever since I was a kid I've had problems with the big-toe nail in both my feet more in my right. The problem is its too difficult to cut correctly and when I do cut it its such a long and messy procedure, and I dont cut it correctly either and it begins to ingrow after a while and its recurring every couple of weeks can anyone help.
its worth going to see your GP. Ingrowing toenails are a pain to deal with especially if like me you have got rid of it once by operation and it re-occurs again on the other side of the nail. Ask what options you may have and an operation may be the last resort.
Hi, I've worked as a podiatrist for several years. I just can recommend cedarsoles! Avoid any powders or chemical products. Cedarsoles are special insoles made from antifungal cedar wood any they absorb any sweat. They also prevent you from getting athlete's foot, nail fungus or any other foot diseases. Moreover they are also very easy to use. Just put em in your shoes and the effect works.
