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Home Remedies for Foot Problems? August 2007 Every year some new home remedy for foot problems seems to make the rounds. But just because something seems to be popular doesn't mean it's safe! One of our guiding principles as health care professionals is to do no harm. Accordingly, as long as any particular home treatment does no harm, it may be tried, regardless of its medical efficacy. But if a proposed home treatment is potentially harmful to the patient, it must be avoided. Let me share with you some of the more common "home remedies" that you may have heard of, along with my observations as to their safety or danger: Soaking feet in Epsom Salts - Safe Epsom Salts (magnesium sulfate) have been used for centuries to dry up infected areas, and many folks swear by an Epsom Salt soak for their tired, aching feet. But don't make the salt bath so hot that it burns your feet; comfortably warm water is just fine. And be aware that daily use of Epsom Salts may cause the skin to become cracked, dry and flaky. Medicated corn and callus pads - Harmful The medication used in these pads is usually Salicylic Acid. Use of Salicylic Acid can be dangerous, especially for diabetics and people with poor circulation! Salicylic acid can cause second and even third degree burns. I've even seen foot and leg amputations resulting from the misuse of this product. Vicks VapoRub for treating toenail fungus - Safe For some strange reason, this has become a very popular home remedy of late. Vicks VapoRub contains an ingredient called thymol which has been to known to "kill" bacterial infections. However, thickened and yellow toenails are usually caused by a fungal organism, not bacteria. So, although use of this product is not be harmful, its effectiveness is questionable. Soaking feet in Clorox® - Harmful Clorox® (chlorine bleach) is an excellent bleaching and whitening agent—for clothing, not skin! Bleach is a highly caustic substance and can easily burn skin tissue. NEVER use any bleaching agent to try to lighten or eliminate yellow toenails and discolorations on the skin. |
