Foot Allergies Are Real
Updated: Jul 30, 2020
People can be allergic to almost anything. Plenty of people have common allergies, like pollen, cats, and mold. Others have more serious allergies that impact what they can eat, like eggs and nuts. Still others have rare allergies to things like sunlight that alter how they can live, work, and have fun. It shouldn’t be too surprising, then, to realize feet can suffer from their own allergy problems—even to your shoes. Foot allergies are uncomfortable and can interrupt your life in many ways.
Foot allergies are actually a skin problem called contact dermatitis. Something you touch irritates the skin on your feet, causing an uncomfortably itchy, painful reaction. Affected areas become red and inflamed. You might even develop a rash. As long as you maintain contact with the irritant, the symptoms will get worse, too.
So what sets off foot allergies? Many things that you touch could potentially set off a reaction, such as the detergent you use to clean your socks, grass or other plants, and so on. Shoe allergies, however, are particularly inconvenient, since they affect what shoes you can and cannot wear.
Some of the common chemicals in shoes might irritate skin. Typically it’s a dye, something in the shoe glue, or even the chemicals used to tan leather. Rubber additives or accelerants in the soles can be a problem as well. Contact with these substances, even through your socks, can lead to itchiness, swelling, redness, blisters, and general pain on your skin.
Taking care of foot allergies isn’t all that different from other allergic reactions. Our team at Gulf South Foot & Ankle, LLC will help you figure out what might be causing the allergic reaction, and give you soothing treatments to heal your skin. We’ll also work with you to help prevent the problem in the future, keeping your feet comfortable as much as possible—even if this means finding special shoes you can wear.
Don’t suffer with foot allergies—they are real and they can affect you. Instead, get help and take care of your feet today. Contact the Gulf South Foot & Ankle, LLC office in Metairie, LA, for a consultation sooner rather than later. You can use our online contact forms or just call us directly at (504) 708-4810.