Fast Facts on Men's Feet

 Foot Ailments:

• Men are less likely to be bothered by aches in the balls of their feet (28% vs. 41%) and shoe pain (19% vs. 35%).
• 37% of males have frequently experienced dry, cracked, or irritated feet.
• 23% of men reported doing nothing to address their foot ailments.

Foot Care:

• 15% of men who have experienced foot ailments has seen a podiatrist.
• Over-the-counter remedies (26%) and foot supports (24%) are the most common treatments heel pain sufferers have used, followed by home icing (19%), calf stretching exercises (18%) and medications (17%). 

Footwear:

• 68% of men have suffered from painful footwear. 
• Most men (68%) place comfort as their top priority when purchasing non-athletic shoes.
• 34% of men can't remember the last time they had their feet measured. 

5 Survival Tips for Father's Day

These 5 tips may not all deal exclusively with feet, but they are helpful for overall health on Father's Day weekend!

1. Know how to remove a tick. spending more time outdoors means spending more time in areas where bloodsucking ticks might latch onto you and, possibly, transmit Lyme disease. Fortunatley, not all ticks are infected and it can take hours ord days for the infrected ones to pass a disease into your body. To evict an unwanted hitchhiker, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp it as close to your skin as possilbe, and pull upward with slow, stead pressure. Don't twist or jer the tick, and don't touch it with bare hands. Wash your hands and the site fo the bite with soap and water. 
2. Don't burn down the house. Place your grill at least three feet from your house, or any other structure. If you haven't used your grill since last summer, check the hoses for blockages. 
3. Don't get tripped up by flip-flops. Your favorite pair of flip-flops could use an inspection before you rotate them back into regular use. Replace them if they show signs of sever wear, if the area that fits between your toes is irritation, or if they bend anywhere but at the ball of the foot. Don't war them while doing yard work or playing sports, unless a twisted ankle is your idea of summer fun.
4. Don't get hit by lightening. You know that old trick of counting the seconds between a lightening flash and a thunderclap to see how close a storm is? In the time it takes you do do that, you could get zapped by a 100-million-volt bolt of lightening. Lightening can strike as far as 10 miles away from a rainstorm.
5. Learn How to Tie a Tie. Another tie for Father's Day? Here's a video on how to tie a tie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbXzI-IAdSc

Must Have Items for Men's Feet  

Men are not prone to getting pedicures or focusing on their feet in general. Maintenance of their feet is typically not a thought until a blister, callus, or athlete's foot appears, and then it's all about solving the problem before them. How about giving a little thought into stocking your medicine cabinet with a few items to help keep the feet healthy and looking nice without having to be too girlie about foot care.

The first item to keep on hand would be a pair of nail clippers for your feet. Be careful when clipping, as clumsy nail trimming is the leading cause of hangnails and ingrown toenails. If a nail is cut too short, tissue can become exposed. Not only is it painful, but it can lead to infections.

After a long day of work, especially if you stand all day, the arches of the feet start to hurt. Insoles for shoes provide support and comfort. Look for insoles with a plastic sole or get fitted for orthotics by a Podiatrist.

Most men see a Podiatrist because of athlete's foot. The conditions that cause athlete's foot are dark and damp, which allows the funguses to grow. Use an antifungal lotion or powder to clear it up. If that doesn't help, see your Podiatrist for stronger treatment.