Itchy feet can be defined as an irritating condition where the feet itch and the infected person feels like scratching the skin all the time. The itching can be persistent and no amount of scratching or rubbing seems to stop it.
Itchy feet and toes can develop due to various reasons including sweat, excessive moisture and dirt. Dry itchy feet can result due to poor-fitting and unhygienic footwear.
Itchy Feet Causes
An itch in the feet can be irritating irrespective of its severity. Read on to learn some of the various causes of itchy feet:
A major cause of itchy feet is improper hygiene. The bacteria causing the itch thrive in wet environments such as a person wearing shoes or socks for longer periods without drying the feet in between.
Dry skin too leads to itchy feet and hands along with irritating flaky patches. This usually is observed along with redness on the skin of hands and feet.
Grazing of feet and also poorly fitting socks and shoes cause itchiness.
Some other skin disorders like ringworm, athlete’s foot and eczema cause itchy feet. In these conditions, the feet are usually found to turn red and sore due to the presence of fungus. Sometimes a burning sensation is felt in the red patches that develop on skin.
Itchy hands and feet
The various possible conditions for itchy feet and hands are usually associated with different chronic medical disorders which include some of the following:
Athlete’s Foot
An athletes’ foot can affect anyone due to sweating of feet and is not just associated with athletes. Wearing socks, shoes and hosiery for longer periods triggers the growth of fungus. Also known as tinea pedis, a condition of athlete’s food can lead to severe burning sensation on the feet.
If the feet itch along with other signs like redness, flaky patches, peeling skin along with blisters on feet, then it is a condition of athlete’s foot. It gives itchy toes, especially the 4th and 5th. However, these can also affect any part of the foot including the risk of itchy feet and ankles.
Other conditions that can lead to itchy hands and feet are:
- Dyshidrotic eczema which usually begins with the formation of tiny blisters on the hands and feet and later turn into red-colored scales.
- A rash in seen along with itchy feet and hands in a condition of Psoriasis.
- Allergic contact dermatitis and irritant contact dermatitis are some other conditions that lead to itching of hands and feet.
- The other conditions include pitted keratolysis and juvenile plantar dermatosis (sweaty sock syndrome).
Picture : Athlete’s foot
source : atlasdermatologico.com.br
Itchy Feet Diabetes
Diabetics usually face skin and foot problems along with other complications like stroke, heart disease, eye and kidney diseases. Diabetes, if uncontrolled, can damage the nerves on feet thus affecting its sensitivity for cold, heat or pain. When the feet are unable to receive messages from the brain, the skin may turn dry. The dry skin cracks and thus allows the germs to enter resulting in itchy feet. Diabetes also affects the blood flow thus resulting in fungal infections like athlete’s foot.
Itchy Palms and Feet
Pitted Keratolysis
Pitted keratolysis is a type of bacterial infection that affects the skin and results in unpleasant odor. It results in itchy soles of feet and palms. Small shallow cavities are formed on the upper layer of soles and palm. Though more common in men, it can effect people of all ages or races.
Those who wear shoes for longer durations like athletes and military personnel are at higher risk of getting affected by pitted keratolysis as the feet get sweaty. It is most commonly seen in either hot or humid weather. Even if not wearing for longer periods, unventilated footwear like those of rubber or vinyl can cause heavy perspiration, thus resulting in itch.
Pitted keratolysis is commonly noticed on soles of the feet, especially on the site of heels. It also affects the palms of hands. Small white patches are noticed on the infected person’s skin in addition to shallow pits about 0.5-5 mm. In some cases, these pits combine forming larger lesions similar to craters.
Though the itching as a result of pitted keratolysis can be painful, what’s more embarrassing is the food odor linked with it.
The best way to avoid pitted keratolysis is to keep the feet and hands dry. Wearing cotton or wool socks and frequently changing these keeps away the moisture from foot. Using a good antiseptic cleanser or an antibacterial soap too helps. Tight fitting and occlusive shoes should be avoided and the same footwear should not be repeated on 2 consecutive days. The individuals who sweat heavily can use antiperspirants on the soles of feet.
The treatment for itchy palms and feet due to pitted keratolysis include the prescription of antibiotics like erythromycin, mupirocin and clindamycin. Antiperspirants that contain aluminum chloride and antifungal creams like clotrimazole or miconazole can also be used externally apart from the various antibiotic lotions. In severe cases, botulinum toxin injections are used.
Itchy Feet at Night
Itchy feet at night are mostly due to a condition known as cholestasis which affects the flow of the digestive juice bile from liver. The bile levels decrease in the blood and when the affected person’s body relaxes at night it results in the itching in the feet accompanied with nausea.
Itchy Toes and Fingers
Chilblains
Itchy toes and finger can be painful and can occur due to various reasons with athlete’s foot being the most common one. Another cause of itch in the toes and fingers could be Chilblains which can be distinguished by the severe burning sensation experienced along with itching. It is more commonly seen in colder climates. It can result in severe itching and burning of the skin which turns red and inflamed.
The itchy swollen feet observed in chilblains are usually generally due to poor blood circulation and unhealthy diet. The chilblains are similar to lesions and dry. If left untreated, these lesions crack leading to extreme pain. Hence, chilblains should not be ignored and the doctor be consulted immediately. Keeping the toes and fingers dry and warm accelerates the healing stage. In colder climates, woolen socks should be used to keep the feet warm.
Itchy Feet during Pregnancy
Women most often complain about itchy feet in pregnancy and it seems to worsen at night and in later stages of pregnancy. This is usually caused due to cholestasis as an increase in the bile salt levels in blood results in a feeling to scratch especially on the soles of feet and palms of hands. The hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy are responsible for triggering cholestasis.
Itchy Blisters on Feet
Itchy blisters develop on the feet as a result of some infection or injury involving the blood vessels. It can be due to various reasons like improper footwear, athlete’s foot and excessive sweating.
Improper footwear puts pressure on the feet, restricts the passage of air and affects the blood circulation. Wearing poorly-fitting footwear for longer periods eventually leads to itchy blisters on feet.
Excessive sweating conditions like in athlete’s foot also cause itchy feet blisters. The skin loses its texture due to the sweat trickling underneath it and thus gives way to itchy blisters.
In some cases, allergic reaction to certain medicines like ibuprofen leads to skin rash on the skin. Itchy bumps on feet are noticed as the rash alters the skin’s texture and appearance. This usually happens on either overusing the medicines or not taking the prescribed dosage.
Usually, these blisters heal by themselves as the skin is capable of getting rid of this infection naturally without the use of any external agents like creams or lotions. However, the doctor should be referred if the condition persists for longer period. Using alcohol or mild soap to clean the affected area of skin can be helpful in quicker healing.
Itchy Feet after Shower
Though taking a shower is part of proper hygiene which is necessary for avoiding itchy feet, at times there is an itchy feeling in the feet especially after a shower. This can be due to allergy to any constituents of various things used for a shower like soap or shower gel. Using hot water too dries the skin resulting in itchy feet after showers.
Itchy Feet Treatment
The treatment for itchy feet depends on the condition that leads to it. Hence the cause leading to the itchy feet should be determined first – is it due to excessive sweating or is it due to dry skin or some other disorder?
For itching caused due to sweating, anti-bacterial soaps are helpful. The feet should be kept dried all time. Anti-fungal creams or powders can be applied to the feet to absorb moisture which causes the problem. Tight fitting shoes should be avoided as these lead to air-blockage and cause the feet to sweat profusely. Socks should be changed regularly. Itchy toes treatment involves wearing sandals that allow the toe to breathe freely.
For dry skin, applying creams and moisturizers especially before bed helps in reducing the itching. Scratching the infected area should be avoided as doing so may spread the infection to other parts of the skin.
Proper hygiene should be observed at all times as most of the skin disorders result due to poor hygienic habits.
Applying white vinegar to feet, sprinkling cornstarch and using lemon juice on the infected area are some home remedies for itchy feet. However, any type of serious persistence of the infection should be immediately referred to the doctor for the right kind of medical care.
References:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/athletes-foot/DS00317
Journal of Investigative Dermatology
Also Read:
- Itchy Feet: causes, symptoms, prevention and treatment.
- Smelly Feet (Foot Odor)
- What causes Itchy Rash and how to treat itchy rashes?
- Itchy Ankles
- Cracked Heels (Heel fissures)
by on 30. Aug, 2010 in Diseases and Conditions
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