Disclaimer: This article is written in combination with authoritative information combined with personal views of the original content, the end of the article has been marked literature and other relevant sources, in order to facilitate everyone's better understanding, part of the plot has "artistic processing", aiming at more interesting popular science health knowledge.
Soaking feet, as soon as they hear this word, many people's eyes light up, as if the most amazing thing in the world is to soak feet, any problem can be solved, but why is there a thing that almost loses life because of foot soaking?
Some people even feel that after soaking their feet, all fatigue, pain, and even illness can disappear. Yes, there seem to be many benefits to foot soaking.
For the elderly, soaking feet can be comfortable, can relax the body, and drive away the cold, but soaking feet can be particular, can not be blindly soaked, if the soaking is not right, maybe there will be some big problems, affecting health.
There was a patient who soaked his feet all year round, thinking that he would be able to maintain his health by "soaking" step by step, but he did not see any effect for several months.
Even one day, after an ordinary foot soak, I was dizzy and almost sent to the emergency room.
If the foot soaking water is too hot, your health will not be guaranteed
When soaking their feet, many people like to make the water hot, especially in winter, the feet are easy to get cold, soak in hot water, feel warm and relaxed, but if the water temperature is too high, it will be counterproductive.
When many people soak their feet, they will adjust the water temperature too hot, and some people even want to be "cool", which is very unfriendly to the body, especially the cardiovascular system.
Many elderly people have cardiovascular problems, if the foot soaking time is too long, the water is still hot, the heart will suffer, angina, heart attack may follow, this is not a joke.
If the water temperature is too high, it will not only burn the skin, but also cause heart discomfort, especially for the elderly with underlying diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
Soaking your feet for too long, the longer the better?
Speaking of foot soaking time, many people think that the longer the soak, the better, some people soak for half an hour, and some soak for a longer time, in fact, soaking for too long is not only not beneficial, but also may be bad.
If you soak your feet for too long, the blood flow will be too fast, the blood vessels will be over-expanded, and the pressure on the heart will increase all of a sudden, and in severe cases, you may have low blood pressure or faint directly, which is too dangerous.
In addition, soaking feet for too long can also easily lead to excessive water absorption and softening of the foot skin, which is easy to be injured and infected, especially for diabetic patients, who soak their feet for a long time and have poor blood circulation in their feet.
If there is a wound, you may have ulcers and be infected, and the original problem will be more serious, so don't soak for too long, wipe your feet dry after soaking, and then wear thick socks to keep warm.
If you don't pay attention to keeping warm after soaking your feet, the consequences will be serious
Soaking your feet in winter is a very warm thing, but if you don't keep your feet warm in time after soaking, the consequences may not be so "warm".
When you soak your feet, the pores of your feet are opened, and you sweat a lot, and if you catch a cold, the cold will penetrate into your body, and you may catch a cold if you are light, and you may get arthritis and rheumatism if you are serious.
This patient used to feel hot after soaking his feet, and his feet were very warm, so he thought, his feet are so warm, he must not be cold to sleep at night, so he didn't even wear socks after soaking his feet.
As a result, she suddenly felt headache and nausea at night, and the next day she checked that her rheumatism had worsened, and the doctor told her that if she could not put on warm socks in time after soaking her feet, she would be prone to cold.
When it's cold, you must wear warm pajamas and pajamas before going to bed, don't let the cold have a chance to get into your body, keeping warm is very good for the body, and the elderly must take it seriously.
Foot soaking is a simple and convenient health regimen, which can improve blood circulation, relax the body, and reduce stress a lot, but for the elderly, foot soaking is not risk-free, so you still have to be careful.
On the contrary, because of the neglect of some details, it may bring health risks, if you want to truly enjoy the benefits of foot soaking, you must avoid these common misunderstandings, and be moderate, gentle, and warm.
Remember, foot soaking is not "hotter, longer, better", but "moderate, comfortable, scientific", master the correct method of foot soaking, in order to enjoy comfort at the same time, away from health risks, to obtain real health effects.
When it comes to foot soaking, there seem to be a lot of materials to choose from, so what materials should you choose when soaking your feet, it's not just a matter of taking some foot soaking powder.
Soak your feet in salt
Salt is indispensable for foot soaking, which can help eliminate fatigue, sterilize and prevent odor, but adding salt to foot soaking is not suitable for everyone, especially those with high blood pressure or heart disease.
If you feel your heart beating faster or even a little short of breath after soaking your feet in salt, don't soak them again, although they have some antibacterial and blood circulation effects.
However, if the temperature of the foot soaking water is too high and too much salt is added, it is easy to increase blood pressure and put pressure on the heart, and the high-salt foot soaking water will cause too much salt in the body and increase the burden on the kidneys.
If you want to add a little salt when soaking your feet, as long as the amount is appropriate, there is nothing wrong with it, like some elderly people have rheumatism, soaking their feet in salt water can play a certain role in relieving joint pain.
But you have to remember that the temperature of the foot soaking water and the amount of salt must be well controlled, and the salt should not exceed 50 grams at most, so that the foot soak can relax the body and mind, and it will not cause any damage to the body, which is just right.
Chinese herbal medicines
Many people know that traditional Chinese medicine has a conditioning effect on the body, and the use of Chinese herbal medicines for foot soaking is a tradition that has been passed down for hundreds of years, but in fact, not all Chinese medicine is suitable for every elderly person.
In particular, the elderly with weak constitution, qi deficiency or severe hyperglycemia may be counterproductive if they do not have professional guidance and use Chinese medicine to soak their feet indiscriminately.
For example, although mugwort leaves and angelica have a good effect of warming the meridians and invigorating blood, their "warm" properties are very strong, and if the body itself is hot or people with inflammation use it, it will aggravate the dampness and heat in the body, resulting in discomfort.
Moreover, many elderly people due to physical weakness, too much use of some blood circulation and blood stasis medicine, but may increase the burden on the heart, in the choice of Chinese herbal medicines, it is best to choose according to the individual's physique and condition.
Soak your feet in vinegar
Some elderly people like to add vinegar to their foot soaking water, believing that it can remove athlete's foot, sterilize and disinfect, and make the skin of their feet softer, but too much vinegar soaking will cause skin moisture loss.
Doing so will make the skin dry and brittle, the skin of the elderly is not strong in the first place, it is easy to be irritated by things outside, and there are irritating things in the vinegar, which may damage the protective barrier of the skin, which is not good for health.
Foot soaking water with some vinegar does have a bactericidal effect, but it is not suitable for daily use, use vinegar to soak your feet 1-2 times a week, you can add one or two spoons of white vinegar each time, and apply some moisturizing skin care products in time after soaking your feet.
Foot soaking is a simple but complex process, we should not blindly pursue "effective", and ignore the differences in individual physique, the rational use of foot soaking materials, in order to make this activity a "secret" of health and longevity.
The above content is for reference only, if you feel unwell, please consult a professional doctor in time
What do you think about the 3 "misunderstandings" of foot soaking? Welcome to discuss in the comment area!
Resources
[1] Liu Yuansheng. Electrocardiogram Essentials of Premature Repolarization Syndrome with Sudden Cardiac Death as the Presenting Symptom, Journal of Clinical Electrocardiology, 2024-04-15