Ways To Prevent Hot Spots On Your Feet In Saratoga Springs

Have you ever been walking or running then happened to feel a nagging “hot” feeling at the bottom of your foot? Hot spots often indicate friction or pressure on your feet, and if the pressure is not relieved, they become blisters. This causes much discomfort, making you take breaks while moving since any applied pressure on the area leads to massive pain.

What Causes Hot Spots On Your Feet?

Hot spots are commonly caused by friction and pressure on your feet. They are an indication that a blister is coming and will be more severe in pain and deeper in cut if you don’t take precautions. The blister can quickly turn into an open wound, callous, or even cause corn (a hard and thickened skin on the top of your foot), and one is encouraged to visit a foot clinic. Luckily for residents of Saratoga Springs, Rogers Foot & Ankle Institute can help alleviate the pain and discomfort when hot spots arise. Our individualized care makes room for each of our patients since we are committed to ensuring you lead a pain-free life. The causes can be external or internal:

Internal factors 

These are factors caused by internal body conditions.

1. Plantar Fasciitis

It occurs when one has a painful inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a fibrous band of tissue at the bottom of the foot that aids in support of the arch. Plantar fasciitis occurs when the band of tissue is overstretched or overloaded. Small tears in the fibers occur where the fascia meets with the heel bone.

Plantar fasciitis is rampant with obese people and pregnant women, perhaps because their extra body weight overloads the delicate plantar fascia leading to hot spots. There are also some hormonal changes taking place during pregnancy that can cause an increase in body temperature.

2. Menopause

Menopause, also experienced by women, leads to different symptoms due to the hormonal changes in the body, and one of them is hot spots.

 3. Alcohol Abuse

When one consumes alcohol in large quantities, they put their lives at risk of damaging their peripheral nerves and getting alcoholic neuropathy. Alcohol interferes with nutrients in the body and damages proper nerve function.

4. Vitamin Deficiency

Nerve function is affected when the body lacks certain nutrients, much like alcoholic neuropathy. In this case, deficiencies like vitamins B-6 and B-12 can cause hot and burning feet.

5. Heavy Metal Poisoning

Lead, mercury, or arsenic poisoning may lead to a burning sensation in the hands and feet. When a bunch of these metals accumulates in the body, making it toxic, they start to replace other essential nutrients necessary for proper nerve functioning.

6. Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a harsh form of chemical drug therapy used to treat cancer. It works by killing rapidly growing cells in the body, resulting in nerve damage. You may experience burning and tingling if nerve damage happens in your feet.

7. Neuroma

A neuroma is a condition that occurs after an injury partially or completely disrupts a nerve due to a cut, a crush, or an excessive stretch. The neuroma is a ball-shaped mass at the injury site, which is painful or may cause a tingling sensation if tapped or if pressure is applied

Prevent Hot Spots On Your Feet

A hot spot often indicates that a blister is on the way and thus, keeping the pressure and friction from your feet is a great start. The first thing is getting the right shoes to keep hot spots and blisters at bay. The shape and size could cause you great comfort or discomfort, and thus you should get suitable shoes for your feet. If the shoe is new, your feet may not be accustomed to them, and therefore you should take it easy to allow your feet to adjust. Other things to avoid include cramped shoes, feet sliding around your shoes due to too much room, rough insoles, and shoe interiors. Lubrication, good socks, keeping feet dry, and covering areas prone to hot spots also help significantly.

How Do You Keep From Getting Hot Spots On Your Feet When Hiking?

There are plenty of ways a person can prevent hot spots during a hiking course. Here are some prevention tips:

• Carry out daily foot self-exam to monitor any changes on your feet. See a foot and ankle doctor annually for a thorough foot evaluation.
• Ensure you have worn fitting shoes or ask your doctor to request custom shoes to wear for the course. Ensure to wear socks that keep moisture away from your skin.
• Clean your feet daily and apply a light, fragrance-free moisturizer but not between the toes.
• Avoid walking barefoot along the trail. Put your shoes on always.
• Trim your toenails before a hike or a run trail. Ensure that the toenail clipping part of your pre-hike routine to help prevent pain and pressure when hiking is on a decline. Long nails are prone to cause pressure from a constrictive toe box.
• Stay away from abrasive products on the feet.
• Keeps your blood moving in your feet with daily exercises before the hike? With enough exercise, the trail will not seem so daunting.
• Air out your feet. Any time you stop on the trail for a few minutes, air out your feet to dry them out. This prevents fungus. Also, while you have stopped, elevate your feet to reduce swelling. Finally, ensure you carry a first aid kit since a hot spot could easily get out of hand.

Hot Spots On Your Feet Treatment

1) Ensure you clean the infected area thoroughly with water and soap or some alcohol you may have on your medkit or at home to avoid getting an infection.

2) Sterilize the sharp object such as a needle, safety pin, or a blade by torching it with a lighter until it is red hot. Alternatively, you use an alcohol swab to ensure your instrument of choice is safe in use.

3) After ensuring you have clean hands, pop a small hole in the surface (preferably the side) and gently squeeze out the fluid.

4) Please don’t remove the skin over a broken blister. It usually protects the raw new skin underneath, allowing it to grow.

5) Apply some antibiotic cream or ointment. This will ensure you don’t infect the bacteria with bacteria and will fasten the healing process

6) Pay close attention after popping to check for infection signs such as yellow or white fluid, red streaks, or red and warm skin surrounding the blister site.

Suppose the blister is severe visit a podiatrist in a foot and ankle clinic. A podiatrist or podiatric physician and surgeon is a medical professional devoted to treating disorders of the foot, ankle, and related leg structures.

Request An Appointment With Our Reliable Foot Doctors In Saratoga Springs!

Is it a hot spot on your feet? Or do you need treatment? Whether it is a neuroma treatment, plantar fasciitis treatment, diabetic foot pain, foot injury treatment, sprained ankle treatment, tendonitis treatment, arthritis pain treatment, you name it! We will give you a reliable foot doctor in Saratoga Springs, no doubt! We will also recommend the best footwear for you so that you stay on your feet for as long as you want without getting hot spots or blistering.

Schedule an appointment at both our American Fork and Saratoga Springs location office to have a professional podiatrist evaluate your foot and ankle problems and find a solution to help you live a more pain-free and mobile life.

Contact us at 801-756-4200 or email us at reception@rogersinstitute.com. We promise our Saratoga Springs patients a pain-free life, so direct them our way today.