The Costco Connection

Footnotes

Put your best feet forward this summer

your heels,” she says. Her advice: “Use sunscreen whenever you wear sandals and open-toe shoes or lie on the beach with your feet exposed to the sun.”

 Moisturize your feet with a soothing foot cream daily. Geoghan suggests that, for best results, you should avoid creams that contain alcohol. “Instead,” she says, “look for lotions and creams that have the ingredient urea.” Urea cream is used for treating dermatological disorders such as dry skin and any other related skin conditions. This cream helps the skin replenish its water stores, smoothes out wrinkles and heals dry skin.

Urea is a substance that readily absorbs water, and it also has a very high water content, which helps to reduce the amount of water lost through the skin. Because of urea’s natural moisturizing factor, it can help to heal dry, flaky skin.

Geoghan adds that you should be mindful of extremely dry and cracked skin, especially on your heels: “You might want to check with your health-care professional to rule out other possible causes, including thyroid problems, psoriasis or diabetes.”

 Change your shoes regularly and your

By Claudia M. Caruana

YOUR FEET ARE MEANT to get you where you need to go. So it is no surprise that the average person walks close to 75,000 miles before reaching age 50, according to the American Podiatric Medicine Association. That distance is the equivalent of five round trip flights from New York to London.

Unfortunately, feet don’t always get the
recognition, much less the respect, they merit,
It’s not difficult to
give your feet the care they deserve, however.

Here are several suggestions for happier feet this summer.

 Use sunscreen on your feet, advises Dr. Kelly Geoghan, a podiatrist at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. “Although most folks remember to use sunscreen on their face, The possible result? “A nasty sunburn on the tops of your feet, soles, toes and backs of

for your

health

The Costco Connection

Products for foot care such as sunscreen, lotion, anti-fungal cream and more are available at Costco and Costco.com. Costco and Costco.com also offer a variety of shoes, including Tom’s shoes on Costco.com.

socks more than once a day, especially if your
feet are sweaty. “Consider socks made with
materials that wick away excess moisture,”
advises Dr. Shana Miskovasky, a foot and
ankle specialist and orthopedic surgeon with
University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve
University, in Cleveland. “They also can help
prevent stubborn foot fungus such as athlete’s
foot because they keep your feet dry.”
Although many over-the-counter anti-
fungal creams will cure athlete’s foot or other
foot fungus, sometimes a prescription cream
is necessary, especially for nail fungus,
Geoghan says. “Often, laser treatments are
used by podiatrists and physicians to treat
stubborn nail fungal infections,” she reports.

 Avoid flip-flops except while at home or at the pool, gym or on the beach. Most foot-care specialists are concerned that flip-flops provide no foot support and cause heels to slide, both of which can result in foot injuries.

But there is another compelling reason to reconsider living in them during your summer days: bacteria. Even thinking about the bacteria lurking on a pair of flip-flops that have been worn on city streets, at the park and in public lavatories is enough to make one sick. In several well-publicized examinations of flip-flops worn in large cities and a study done at the University of Miami a couple of years ago, researchers found that millions of bacteria can easily reside right under your feet. Yuck!

Special foot concerns for diabetics

Dr. Deborah Velasco, a podiatrist in pri-
vate practice in New York City, says people
living with diabetes must check their feet and
moisturize them daily to prevent complica-
tions that can result from their condition. She
advises, “Wear shoes that are closed and avoid
ones that have open toes. Don’t walk barefoot.
Walking barefoot could be more detrimental
to your health than helpful.”
Like many physicians who treat diabetic
patients, she advises hers not to have salon
pedicures because of the possible dangers of
infections. C