Dr. Karpati on Foot Care
Dr. Karpati on Foot Care
Foot Sweat
1.
Question:
I have been having a problem with the feet, summer or winter they sweat
they have order, I have been buying new shoes, because they are ruined,
I change the socks two times in a day; I use powder about every two hours.
I bought Dr. scholls inserts in the past and only use them once. Can your
product help? Or do you know what else I can use; this problem is embarrassing
then depressing.
Dr. Karpati's Answer:
Thank you for your E-mail. I am happy to give you advice on ways to control
your sweaty feet problem, and from your e-mail, I can see why you are
distressed! I am a big advocate of “try the simple stuff first”. My first
recommendation is to try Summer Soles for these simple reasons:
1. Foot odor begins from the sweating and lingering of moisture on one’s
feet. Summer Soles work to help control odor by dispersing away the wetness
from your feet.
2. The sweaty feet you are describing are usually caused by the improper
function of what is called the “sympathetic nervous system” which controls
sweating of the feet. Though Summer Soles won’t keep your feet from sweating,
they will make your feet feel drier by wicking the sweat away.
3. Summer Soles also acts as a barrier between your foot and the factory
insoles of your shoes to help prevent deterioration of your shoes. This
will allow to keep your shoes longer!
If you still have some foot odor, you can buy some tea bags; the stronger
the better - seep a pot full of tea for about 5-10 minutes, let the tea
cool down, pour it into a basin and soak your feet in the tea for 10 minutes.
The tannic acid in tea helps to reduce foot odor! Soap and water will
remove the tea stains on your feet. Do this daily, making a fresh pot
every time, until you can see a podiatrist. There is a prescription for
Formalyde-10 spray. This spray is designed for certain types of foot odor
and it is as strong as it gets.
2. Question:
Hello, Is there a reason why this problem exists? In other words, can
it be related to thyroid problems or any other disorders? Thank you!
Dr. Karpati's Answer:
Thank you for a very interesting question. Excessive sweating may indeed
be a symptom of other medical conditions including hyperthyroidism, gout,
rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis, lymphoma, hypoglycemia, parasites,
metabolic dysfunction, diabetes, liver disease, menopause and psychological
disorders such as panic attacks. Some medications may also cause excessive
sweating. In the cases where no causes are found, known as idiopathic
or primary hyperhidrosis, overactivity of the nerves of the sympathetic
nervous system, which send signals to the sweat gland of the skin, seems
to be the culprit.
3. Question:
How do you know if you have Hyperhidrosis?
Dr. Karpati's Answer:
Simply put, your feet sweat A LOT! There are some patients I see with
this problem who carry towel with them to pat their hands and/or feet
dry and who have beads of sweat form on their feet within the first minute
of my evaluation! Everyone has different extremes even in the realm of
patients with this condition. There is a wonderful site created by the
International Hyperhidrosis Society that has a wealth of information.
Click
here to visit their website.
Everyone’s feet sweat! The beauty of Summer Soles is that even with these
different extremes, Summer Soles are able to keep your feet feeling dry
and comfortable!
4. Question:
I hope you can help me....everyday I go to school with sport shoes ...we
have to wear that because of the school rules ....I sweat alot from my
feet ..I try to do a alot of things but it don't work for me ...I am always
sad and scared of going crazy with this issue ...I feel there is no hope
everyday....I want to know what I should do about this problem. I hope
you can help soo bad because I have school tomorrow ...another bad day...please
help
Dr. Karpati's Answer:
Don’t despair! Summer Soles are here to help! Summer Soles will help absorb
the sweat off your feet and socks to help keep you comfortable. They are
your best first defense against sweaty feet and they really do work! Remember,
all the sweat that has already gathered onto the soles of your shoes will
make your feet smell bad. Summer Soles will add that layer of protection
between your feet and the soles of your shoes! Next, try to always wear
cotton or the newer athletic socks with your shoes. Nylon socks or no
socks at all will make your feet sweat more and smell worse! Bring an
extra pair of socks to school with you and change them mid way through
school if possible. Also, try Dr. Smith's "Deodorizing Foot Wash"
if your feet have a bad odor.
5. Question:
I've had a terrible problem with foot sweating and smelling for the past
15 years -- it originated at a hugely stressful time in my life and also
occurred when I was having mercury removed from my teeth. Do you know
what physiologic system is involved? Also, what can be done for the smell?
I believe the smell is not just due to bacteria, but from release of toxins.
Thank you very much for any response
Dr. Karpati's Answer:
I do not know for a fact that your problem is from a release of toxins
but I would suspect that if toxins were a factor, then your foot odor
would have decreased over the course of the past 15 years given that there
is less in your system now. I do know that the odor from bacteria can
be controlled by first drawing away the sweat from your feet so it does
not stagnate. This can be accomplished effectively with Summer Soles.
Next, be sure to change your socks often if you can (use cotton or the
newer athletic synthetics) and avoid nylon sock at all cost as this will
aggravate your situation. Another helpful product to control odor is Dr.
Smith's Deodorizing Foot Wash. Thank you for your question!
6. Question:
My feet will tend to sweat all the time. Sometimes there is an odor depending
what hosiery I am wearing. I know if I wear cotton fabric that should
help, but that can't help when I wear heels. How can I minimize the odor?
It's pretty embarrassing!
Dr. Karpati's Answer:
To get right to the point, first you need to cut down the sweat which
causes the odor. You could not pick a better product than Summer Soles
for this. Nylon is the WORST for making feet sweat so start “Summer Soleing”
your shoes and sandals to help wick most of it away. Next, to help cut
down on the odor, Dr. Smith's brand makes a product called “Deodorizing
Foot Wash” which you can apply directly to your feet. If you still have
problems, add a spritz of any underarm antiperspirant to your feet in
the morning. Thanks for your question!
7. Question:
I have tried all kinds of treatment, powders, soaking two prescriptions,
inserts, deodorants and nothing seems to work. What else can you recommend?
This is such an embarrassment I can hardly stand to be around people.
I need help! I wonder if acupuncture could help?
Dr. Karpati's Answer:
It really sounds like you have run the gamut of conservative treatment
for hyperhidrosis! At this point, you make a very good candidate for botox
injections in the feet. This is an extreme control for people who have
tried EVERYTHING and still sweat excessively. I must warn you that these
injections can be painful sometimes requiring as many as 50 per foot and
only lasts for several months. The good news is that the majority of the
people who have had this done are extremely satisfied despite the temporary
discomfort and say it is worth the trouble! Final thought, while you research
botox as an alternative, please go ahead and try some Summer Soles. At
the very least, they will absorb and wick much of this moisture away and
keep those feet feeling more comfortable! Best of Luck!
8. Question:
About a year ago my feet started sweating. I have never had a sweat problem
prior to this. My feet sweat excessively and the odor they cause is literally
aweful! They not only sweat extreme but they are hot like an oven as soon
as Iput socks and shoes on. They also have a burning sensation. This isnt
a little isue it actually somewhat limits and controlls my life. it is
the most uncomfortable, painfull and bothersome thing in my life. I have
tried drysol and dryoff and they dont work at ALL. Please help me on what
to do. Im considering Lumbar Sympethectomy.
Dr. Karpati's Answer:
Your symptoms do not sound like strictly like hyperhydrosis alone. The
symptoms you are describing are seen in people with pedal neuropathy.
Pedal neuropathy, easily put, is the slow death of the sensory nerves
of the feet. This can be seen with various disease processes, most commonly
diabetes. If you have a history of diabetes in your family and have never
been tested, then I would not waste anytime in doing so. I suggest you
also appoint with a neurologist who can test specific nerves to help eliminate
nerve injury and neuropathy as causative factors. Good luck!
9. Question:
I'm 33 yrs young female.My soles have become very slippery & smooth,maybe
'cause of sweating.(I walk a lot,will be on my feet a lot).My knee hurts.
Please suggest me the shoes I should go for.
Dr. Karpati's Answer:
The type of shoe you need depends on what you are using the shoe for(walking
for exercise vs. walking as part of your job vs. on your feet standing
a lot in your occupation) and what foot type you have. These are separate
issues than finding a shoe that will help alleviate the sweating. You
would really need to have your feet examined by a podiatrist to determine
what foot type you have and how this affects your gait. Shoes, especially
athletic shoes, are made differently to meet the different foot types
and problems. Given you also have knee pain, you may also want to be evaluated
for possible functional orthotics. These are made custom to your feet
to help correct abnormal gait and properly support your foot and ankle.
Having a good “foundation” so to speak, is an important aspect of body
alignment and joint function. For the sweating, besides Summer Soles,
you may want to look into the Geox shoe. It is a breatheable shoe that
has a patented system with a semi-permeable membrane that absorbs sweat,
yet keeps water out!
10. Question:
Hi.
I have a nine year old daughter who's feet and hands sweat constantly.
When she uses the mouse on the computer it looks like she wiped it with
a wet rag. Her feet make all of her shoes smell horrible. She can't wear
sandles because of the amount of sweat in her shoes. It looks like she
just walked through a puddle. She is starting to get embarrassed and recently
stopped going to gymnastics because of this. I need a solution that will
work on a nine year old. Thank You so much.
My 9 year old granddaughter has sweaty feet and hands. Her mother and
I are trying and looking everywhere for shoes that will absorb the sweat.
She does not like the look of bergenstocks so when I saw this website
I decided to try them out - I hope they work. She is too young for medication
that will help her - any ideas?
Dr. Karpati's Answer:
I hope you do not mind me addressing you both since it appears to be the
same person you are writing about! There is a product called "Certain-Dri"
which I believe I saw selling at Walgreens. Look at the specifics on the
product at their web site http://www.certaindri.com/Pages/CD_Facts It
is a very strong topical anti-perspirant specifically formulated to address
this type of problem. It should help some and the Summer Soles will do
the rest! Good luck!
11. Question:
I work in a factory and have to wear steel toe shoes.I never really had
a problem with my sweety feet till working 10 hr days .I have tried powders,
but they just get wet and stick to my feet .I change my socks at work
once but I know I could change them on somedays 3 or 4 times a day. My
feet get sore and feel raw and hurt. I soak my feet and try to take care
of them as soon as I am off work .What can I do ?
Dr. Karpati's Answer:
Keep up what you are doing! Use the synthetic wicking sock you can find
at sport stores instead of the cotton ones you are probably using and
get to a podiatrist for a prescription of Formalyde-10. This stuff is
strong enough to dry you out. Use any over the counter anti-perspirant
for underarms on the soles of your feet once daily until you can get to
your podiatrist. Summer Soles will definitely help to disperse some of
that sweat so it is not just sitting in your boots and will help keep
your socks drier. Good Luck!
12. Question:
Prior to finding this miracle product four months ago, I have been terribly
miserable and embarrased because of the odor from my feet/shoes due to
my sweety feet. It was to the point where my co-workers didn't want to
sit anywhere near me and tease me behind my back (stange that I only experience
this problem when I wear shoes). I am having to change out the Summer
Soles quite frequently because of odor (must add sooo much better than
before prior to Summer Soles)and desperatly hoping that you please help
me with products to use adjacent to Summer soles. You have recommended
J&J Band-Aid brand called "Odor Block" but I cannot find this anywhere.
Additionally what brands or product of underarm antiperspirant (not deodorant)
spray do you recommend because I cannot find the sprays at the stores
(CVS, Walmart, Giant, Rite Aid, etc..). Please help me.
Dr. Karpati's Answer:
So sorry to hear what you are going through! I hope I can help! First
of all, I am sure you have already purchased the scented Summer Soles
which are absolutely fabulous and will knock out some more of that odor!
Unfortunately, J&J has discontinued "Odor Block" so it is no longer available.
As far as anti-perspirants are concerned, any brand is fine. What I want
you to start doing immediately, as crazy as it sounds, is go out and buy
some tea bags; the stronger the better! Seep a pot full of tea for about
5-10 minutes, let the tea cool down, pour it into a basin and soak your
feet in the tea for 10 minutes. The tannic acid in tea helps to reduce
foot odor! Soap and water will remove the tea stains on your feet. Do
this daily, making a fresh pot every time, until you can see a podiatrist.
When you do, ask for a prescription for Formalyde-10 spray. This spray
is designed for your type of foot odor and I am sure it will help! This
is as strong as it gets!
- - -
Medical conditions are fact-dependent, so in addition to Dr. Karpati's
insights, it is important you consult with your personal physician before
undergoing any footcare treatment.
Dr. Adriana Karpati is a trusted Summer Soles Advisor and frequently tests
Summer Soles products before they are brought to the public. Her practice
is located in Grapevine, Texas. For more information, visit: www.faant.com
Summer Soles Ultra Absorbent insoles for sandals are wool insoles that help remedy feet sweat when wearing open shoes and sandals. These open shoe insoles are ideal for stopping feet sweat from ruining shoes and making sandals uncomfortable.
