How to Get Rid of Your Winter Alligator Skin

Get Rid of My Dry Skin Dry skin! As the air gets cold, the moisture in the air decreases. The air will steal moisture from your skin and as a result, your skin will be drier this time of the year.

Chapped lips and itchy skin goes hand in hand (or foot and foot) with the season. If you already have dry or sensitive skin, the winter can be especially brutal. How to tackle the dry air or just dry skin in general. What else can cause dry skin? Having sweaty feet can cause dry feet! When your feet sweat, they are pulling out the moisture from your body. Thus, many will notice that after they allow their feet dry, their skin will be very dry.

Fungus, will also eat up the moisture in your foot and leave the skin dry and flakey. There are many different skin conditions that can cause dry skin. Psoriasis is the most common, but there are several other common conditions that will leave you dry. If the your feet are dry and cracking open, it is best to seek a medical professional such as a podiatrist to address the problem. When cracks or fissures are forming, there is often a systemic disease that is causing problems in the skin and other organs. If the condition has been there for many years or does not respond to at home treatments, a more aggressive treatment may be necessary that can be provided by medical professionals

When shopping for a lotion to sooth your skin, make sure to read the label. The lotions should be water based and contain little to no alcohol. Shea Butter is a natural moisturizer that does wonders to the skin on many different levels. It can be found in many common over the counter lotions today. If your feet are exceptionally dry, you can apply lotion to your skin at night and wear socks while you sleep. Creams are better than lotions for thick skin areas, like the soles of your feet.

Do not apply lotion between your toes and avoid this area with any moisturizing product. The skin between your toes in very thin and sensitive and can easily macerate when too moist. When shopping for shoes, choose light colors and materials that allow air flow. Synthetic materials tend to reflect heat and cause the feet to sweat. Socks can also help you control the moisture in your foot. Fabric made up of a mix of cotton and polyester can help wick away sweat from your foot and will decrease the amount of moisture that evaporates of your skin.

Whether it is the dry air or something you are fighting all year long, it may be time to give your feet a special gift this season. Fill up the bath, soak your feet, and enjoy some nice relaxing lotion. Soothing your feet is like soothing your soul.

Why Do My Legs Hurt?

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is becoming more and more prevalent in America. Our love of fast food and convenience has lead to almost 10 million Americans to be diagnosed with PAD. Our body naturally starts forming plaques in our arteries. This is part of the aging process. Unhealthy lifestyles though cause abnormal increases in plaque and as we get older, these high levels of plaque hardens and causes narrowing of the blood vessels. Arteries supply the body with blood rich in oxygen. If the vessels narrow, the body is not getting the appropriate amount of oxygen to the organs and muscles. Thus, those with PAD are four times more likely to have a heart attack and almost three times more likely to have a stroke.

Who is at Risk? Those with diabetes have a significant risk in developing PAD. So much so, that the American Diabetes Association recommend everyone with diabetes over the age of 50 should be tested. Other high risk factors are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, family history of heart disease, or being overweight. Smoking will also increase your likelihood of developing PADS by four times.

The first signs and symptoms of PAD are often first seen in the legs and feet. This is why we highly encourage high risk patients to pay close attention to pain, discomfort or open lesions in the legs and feet. One will often feel like their legs get tired or painful when walking or climbing exercise. When experiencing this pain, it will go away with rest. This is termed intermittent claudicating and is a sign that your muscles are not getting enough oxygen. One may also feel numbness or tingling, coldness, changes in color, hair loss on the legs and feet. These are all be signs of a serious problem, but some people who have PAD do not appear with any of these symptoms. Thus it is very important to still get tested if you are at risk.

How to get tested? If you are experiencing any of symptoms above or are at high risk of getting PAD, you should consult a health care provider. Testing for PAD is noninvasive, pain free, quick and easy! The examiner will either use a standardized machine or manually take your blood pressure on your arm, ankle and other areas on your leg. Significant changes in your blood pressure in your legs and or ankle is diagnostic of PAD.

What to do if you have PAD. It is important to take the steps to adjust your lifestyle to prevent the progression of the disease. It is advised that patients stop smoking, lose weight, and exercise to improve blood flow. All treatment plans should be thoroughly discussed with your doctor to know what options are right for your body. The doctor may prescribe blood pressure medication, encourage physical therapy, and in critical conditions, surgery may be necessary.
Those suffering from PAD are at an increased risk of having several foot issues including non-healing ulcers. PAD patients should visit a podiatrist regularly for foot screenings and management of foot and ankle problems. A growing number of the American population are having foot and leg amputations due to the effects of diabetes and PAD. Many of these amputations are highly preventable when people take the appropriate steps to care for their feet and consult a podiatric physician when suffering from any foot and leg pain or abnormalities.