Pack List for Your Feet on a Tropical Vacation
Are you thinking about visiting someplace in the tropical regions to spend your vacations? If yes, make sure you pack the right stuff to protect yourself from excessive sun exposure and other risks associated with warm places.
Here is a list of essentials that podiatrists strongly recommend you take with you:
- Appropriate shoes: If your holiday plans include a lot of walking or exploring, make sure that you don’t skip comfortable and supportive shoes or sneakers to keep your feet safe. Open-style shoes can harm your feet as they lack the support and grip required for excursions on foot.
- Flip-flops: Although these are the least supportive footwear available, flip-flops effectively soield against bacterial and fungal infections, especially ones that root from public pools and fitness centers. They also protect your feet from sharp objects that may be lying around the beaches.
- Sunscreen: the importance of sunscreen cannot be emphasized enough! Make sure to apply a high SPF sunscreen on your skin, especially your feet, if you plan to spend the day in the sun. Sunburns and cracked skin are common issues that can cause severe discomfort and spoil your trip.
- Blister patches or moleskin: Excessive walking or wearing closed shoes for extended periods of time can cause blisters due to the friction between your skin and the insides of your shoes. To prevent this from happening, use a self-adhesive patch to protect the vulnerable areas on your feet, like the back of your foot, the side of your big toe, the top of your small toe etc.
- Foot first-aid kit: packing essentials like bandages, an antifungal ointment, insect repellent, a nail cutter, tweezers etc., can help in address minor injuries.
- Water and electrolytes: staying hydrated is extremely important, especially if you want to stay active throughout your trip. Make sure you drink ample water and electrolytes to avoid muscle cramps, retain your energy and replenish your body’s water levels. Your body loses water as you perspire, and more so in humid conditions. So, stay safe and stay hydrated.
If you notice anything unusual on your feet like discoloration of the skin or nails, redness, swelling, rashes or itchy skin, inflammation, tenderness, tingling or numbness, or you have encountered a cut or an injury, you must visit your foot doctor at the earliest.
Call the friendly My Chicago Foot Expert staff at (773) 561-8100 or click here to schedule an appointment with Cook County podiatrist Stavros O. Alexopoulos, DPM, in our modern, comfortable Ravenswood office today.
