June is Children’s Awareness Month: Protect Your Child's Feet This Summer

After such a long and dreary winter, summer is finally here! When you picture summer, you most likely think of fun-in-the-sun activities like trips to the beach or swimming at the city pool. Summer is the time when kids practically live in their bathing suits, anxious for the green light from their parents that it’s okay to go run through the sprinkler outside.

 

Toronto chiropodist, Marz Hardy, has a few easy-to-remember tips to help everyone keep their feet protected this summer.

 

 

Perhaps the best thing about summer is the free feeling of walking barefoot on a ground warmed by the sun—whether it’s along the beach or in your own front yard. We get so caught up in this free feeling that we often forget being barefoot puts our feet in a very vulnerable state.

 

Walking barefoot in the summer comes with some risks, so it’s best to you’re your child’s feet covered as often as possible, even if they’re just wearing sandals. Some protection is always better than none. However, you should keep in mind that sandals offer no protection against cuts on the top of the foot, sunburns, or insect bites. For children with diabetes, who are more prone to serious foot infections, you may want to consider purchasing wet shoes. This type of footwear allows children the freedom to swim or walk near water, but will also protect their feet from any broken glass or seashells, insects, or even UV rays that could harm their feet and potentially cause an infection.

 

 

 

Studies have shown that feet frequently exposed to moisture are at a higher risk of developing fungal infections. Because so many summer outdoor activities usually involve water in one way or another, it’s important to dry children’s feet thoroughly any time they are out of the water. Also, depending on the salinity of the water, it’s not a bad idea to wash your children’s feet with mild soap after they play in ocean, lake, or pool water. Doing this will prevent bacteria from entering any wounds on the foot and causing infection. Keeping feet clean will also discourage foot fungus from developing.

 

For more tips on keeping feet healthy during summer, call Toronto chiropodist Marz Hardy at 416-465-8737 today!