Billions of bacteria are residents in the soles of your feet

How often a day and how feet are washed

Most of us scrub our feet every day, while some think just rinsing is enough. What is important in any context between these practices is whether you wash your feet correctly or not. While bathing, some parts of our body receive more attention than others. The feet, however, sometimes fall under neglect when bathing since they are the lowest part of our body. Yet experts say some proper, if not excessive, attention is needed.

As stated by the UK’s National Health Service and the US CDC, washing your feet daily with soap and water is a health necessity, and the number one good reason is to avert unpleasant odors. The soles of the feet, having on account of those tiny sweat glands, are sweat-releasing organs which number more than any other part of the body, about 600 per square centimeter.

Now, sympathetic sweating has no odour; the smell comes from the proliferation of bacteria in the solution of salts, glucose, vitamins, and amino acids. “There is a lot of moisture that accumulates in the area between the toes, which contributes to the warmth, and there is a greater amount of germs there,” states Holly Wilkinson, a lecturer at the University of Hull in the UK.

Our feet are cushioned in shoes and socks most of the time, leading to accumulation of moisture in them for long hours. As you look super closely from a telescope at any part of the human body for the area of one square centimeter, you will see anywhere from 10,000 to 1 million bacteria in that area.

Additionally, once we start sweating, certain organisms such as Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, Epicococcosum, Trichosporium, Candida, and many more find a place here. The organisms have been found on the feet as Corynebacterium and Staphylococcus aureus. For the above-mentioned reasons, feet are regarded as the most popular part of the human body to live in.

With that, it may also be very encouraging in taking the habit of washing your feet. Allegedly, scientists did a study involving the collection of samples from the foot soles of actually 40 persons. From this study, it was found that foot washing creates a big effect on the bacteria count.

-The study showed that for people who washed feet twice a day, the total counts were around 8,800 bacteria per square centimeter on their feet. In contrast, for others who used to bathe every other day, they would complain of having over 1 million bacteria per square centimeter on their feet.

Presence of microorganisms on the feet does not mean these feet will smell necessarily bad. This is nothing to worry about. It is more about the variety of bacteria on the feet and not the quantity. Bacteria called Staphylococcus are thus responsible for forming volatile fatty acids which cause the production of bad odour from the soles of feet.

Sweat glands on the skin of the feet actually produce and secrete a mixture of electrolytes, amino acids, urea, and lactic acid. During food processing, these amino acids are converted to volatile fatty acids (VFA) by Staphylococcus bacteria. The major chemical released in such processes is isovaleryl acid, which is known to cause revulsion during detection since humans dislike its smell.

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A test done in 2014 on sixteen subjects showed that 98.6 percent of bacteria found at the bottoms of their feet constituted Staphylococcus. The lowest levels of volatile fatty acids like isovaleric acid are responsible for the unpleasant smell in the feet, and thus their concentrations are between the soles and the uppers of the feet.

Popularity with Staphylococcus bacteria that foot odor relates to the fact that soap does not reach the soles of the feet as another reason contributing to the occurrence of this odor. Well, washing feet is not just to avoid odor. Proper washing of feet forms a very important part of the prevention of some diseases and foot disorders.

“This is the area where it becomes most vulnerable to different microbe infections due to the narrow spaces between toes which can cause some irritation, swelling, and odors,” explains dermatologist Joshua Zeichner of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

They claim that this procedure distorts the protective layer of the skin. The effect of this change will be increased vulnerability to invasion of the skin and development of a wide range of infections. According to Professor Joshua Zeichner, the most common problem would be athlete’s foot, a fungal disease of the skin on the feet. The fungus in question grows in very warm and humid darkness.

The condition is therefore commonly found in the spaces in between the toes. Keeping this area clean and dry is thus a good habit as far as our foot health is concerned. Symptoms of this infection include itching and fissuring of the skin on the soles of the feet and in between the toes. forming a very good habit and adopting to maintaining clean feet may save the skin of your feet from breaking by the infection caused by Staphylococcus or Pseudomonas bacterium.

However, these organisms are already part of the skin, but entry into the blood through any type of injury can easily lead to severe infections within the body. “Because there is so much more bacteria about, the chances of getting an injury to your feet would create a much greater opportunity for the bacteria to enter that wound,” states Holly Wilkinson.

However, on the other hand, there still exists a probability of having some kinds of skin infection despite rigorous washing of feet, but one really can say that washing the feet at regular intervals would have reduced the number of bacteria. Thus, less would be the number of bacteria around the wound in case of a cut, which would have a greater possibility of entering the bloodstream.

For diabetic patients, washing and caring for feet frequently adds an extra consideration. Research has shown that feet of diabetics harbor greater amounts of pathogenic bacteria on the skin. Wilkinson adds, “There are big germs waiting to get into somebody’s body so it’s important for diabetics to be especially cautious about their feet to prevent them from coming into contact with germs because they are most at risk.”

And, unfortunately, people who have diabetes have a tendency to develop a weakened immune system and, therefore, in case an infection occurs in his/her system, it cannot fight it properly. Like all other diabetic patients, their feet are at risk of cuts and wounds and, if not treated on time, amputation may be required of fingers, toes, or even limbs.

According to Holly Wilkinson, “If your blood sugar is high or uncontrolled, the nerves in your feet can be damaged, making it difficult for you to even feel your feet properly. Washing your feet gives you the opportunity to properly examine them and protect yourself from infection.”

So recommended by Holly Wilkinson and Diabetics UK itself, proper washing of feet should be done daily by a diabetic.

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Experts would say to other people, what then?

Some experts say that for the majority, daily washing of feet does not hold much health benefits, rather it might even heighten the risks for problems on the skin. Just like the rest of the body, the skin on the feet depends for its primary functions on the community of helpful and beneficial microbes, which serve to dominate harmful bacteria.

This community competes with the harmful bacteria and provides an environment for maintaining moist and supple skin and significantly contributes to wound healing. Repeated scrubbing also decreases this layer of beneficial bacteria, especially when the water is hot.

This can lead to dry, sensitive, and itchy skin

Cracked skin may allow bacteria breach the normal protective barrier of the skin and increase their chances of infection. over-washing the skin disrupt e skin barrier, stripping skin of natural oils which increases dryness and inflammation. This may lead to itchy dry skin and can worsen conditions such as eczema,” says Joshua Zeichner.

It’s also very important to wash your feet and scrub regularly, says Joshua. There is also the possibility that antibacterial soaps interfere with the fragile balance of bacteria living on the skin, killing off the good ones. On the other hand, the body has to deal with some hard microbes to make for a great nerve fluttering function.

To put it another way, had we not gotten infections with numerous bacteria and viruses in our childhoods, our bodies would not have learned to combat these pathogenic attacks. That is the reason there are those who believe that too much washing and cleanliness could be detrimental for us.

Read More: The Importance and Ways to Remove Germs From Your Home

How often, then, do you wash your feet?

So now, the question that arises is how often should we wash our feet? The answer depends on the individual, his health, and the environment.

According to Holly Wilkinson

• Diabetics should wash their feet daily; however, unless complications arise, every other day should suffice for a thorough wash.
• If you exercise a lot, you should wash your feet more regularly than someone who is less active.
• Foot washing technique is helpful. How you wash and dry your feet also affects your health.
• While many think that dousing feet with water in the shower is sufficient, it is not. Feet need regular washing with soap.
• However, over at Bristol University in the UK, Dan Baumgard, a lecturer in neuroscience and physiology, advises his patients to make sure they dry their feet well.

Moisture and warmth between the toes set up the likelihood of many kinds of infections to flourish, says Jan Baumgard.