Can Swimming Cause Foot Problems

Swimming is great for cardiovascular health, muscle strength, joint flexibility, circulation and your overall wellbeing.

However, swimming pools can be dangerous places for your feet, so here are some common foot problems to look out for.

Here is some leading advice from our Podiatrists here at Oakwood Podiatry.

Verrucae (also known as Plantar Warts)

Moist, warm environments are great for verrucae, and that is exactly what swimming pools and their environment provide. These hard, tough areas of skin are covered by black dots (or one dot) and are caused by a form of human papillomavirus (HPV). This virus can sneak into cuts or scrapes on your feet.

Verrucae most commonly appear on the ball or the heel, the reason for this is because these are weight-bearing areas, a verruca quickly becomes uncomfortable and painful.

Quick treatment is essential, as verrucae spread quickly. Sadly as much as we promote swimming for all of its health benefits, this is one of the most common foot problems swimmers may find.

Please do not worry if you find yourself with Verrucae, there are a wide range of effective treatments available. Contact us today to see how we can help you!

Please also note to minimise the risk you can always wear swimming socks in and around the pool, and we always advise to wear flip flops in the changing rooms.

Heel Problems

Cracked heels are common for swimmers. Due to constant immersion in water it is easy to find that over time, water strips away these essential lubricants leaving your skin dry and prone to cracking.

Cracked heels often leave deep fissures in your skin which opens the way for nasty infections.

Please see our blog posts for more information on Dry and Cracked Heels

To prevent this, we advise that daily moisturising is an essential part of your routine. If you find however that the problem persists, we can help treat the issue here in clinic, Treatment may rang from a specialised cream to filing and removing the dead skin, which we can assure is a painless yet effective treatment.

Athlete’s Foot

This common fungal infection lurks in wet and warm places, and again sadly a swimming pool is the perfect environment for this. Athlete's foot affects the skin around the toes, or anywhere moisture accumulates. You’ll notice red, itchy and flaky skin which can lead to painful blisters.

Athlete’s foot is contagious and without treatment, it quickly spreads across your foot. The skin can crack which leaves you vulnerable to more serious infection.

This uncomfortable condition can be effectively treated with topical creams or oral medication as appropriate, so talk to your podiatrist as soon as possible.

Fungal Toenail Infections

Warm, damp places are an ideal breeding ground for fungal infections. The first sign of this condition is often discolouration underneath the toenail.

Visit our previous blog post for more information on this condition.

It is however usually a white or yellow/brown spot. This leads to thick, crumbly nails. You may find that parts of the nail can even flake off and, in extreme cases, the nail may come away from the nail bed.

Jagged edges and exposed skin allow bacteria to take hold. If left untreated blood poisoning can follow – a serious condition which is why you should never leave this untreated.

We can advise you on topical treatments or oral medications to combat the infection. We can also trim and file the nail to remove infected parts and encourage healing.