Your heels can crack and that is not unusual. Especially during the heart of winter when the humidity is low and the temperatures are cold. That is because the skin on your heels is very dry and the dry skin can crack which can be painful. It happens to women more than men and even though the condition is not comfortable, it is not overly painful and no one really believes that cracked heels can be serious.
However, that is not completely true as if you leave your cracked heels untreated, it can lead to serious problems in addition to bleeding. However, before delving into any of that, let’s go into why your heels may be cracking.
Why Do Your Heals Crack?
The other name for cracked heels is heel fissures and it happens often because of the lack of moisture in your skin which was mentioned above. Cold temperatures during the winter will contribute to that in addition to low humidity. However, there are other causes too which can include not drinking enough water which leads to dehydration. Dehydration leads to cracked heels. It can also result from poor nutrition, diabetes, and obesity.
However, if you drink a lot of water and you are healthy, and you are having cracked heels in the middle of summer, it can also be caused by walking barefoot, using harsh soaps on your feet that strip away the natural oils and moisture, taking hot showers or baths, especially if you do so for too long or do it too often. If you scrub your feet often, that will lead to cracked heels, and natural aging can do it too.
It does not matter the cause of your cracked heels because if you leave them cracked too long, then it can lead to problems.
What Are The Consequences Of Not Tending To Your Cracked Heels Right Away?
The problem is that if you do not treat your cracked heels, you are allowing bacteria to get into the cracks. And the other problem is that the longer you leave the cracked heels untreated, it becomes difficult to treat because the skin around it will develop a callus and it will harden and thicken.
The way you will know whether or not you have an infection in your foot is if your heels are warm to the touch, swollen, and red. If you are diabetic, this becomes even more dangerous. If you don’t treat the infection, it can become serious and even fatal if you end up with sepsis. However, if you catch the cracked heels immediately, there is a way to treat it without having to go on medication of any kind.
How Can You Treat Cracked Heels?
Studies have shown that you can treat cracked heels and other wounds with manuka honey as it can help stimulate healing around the area and even help to reduce pain. There was one particular study conducted and found that 88 percent of wounds were lessening in size and not causing pain when they were treated with manuka honey. That is because this substance will create an acidic environment which will help with healing the wound. This substance may also help with diabetic foot ulcers as well as not only can it help heal the wound quicker but it will help prevent infection from happening.
One common bacterial infection that happens regarding cracks in the heels is Staphyloccocus aureus which can be resistant to antibiotics. And manuka honey can even help heal those wounds and keep that bacteria at bay. All you need to do is apply some manuka honey to the wound and then cover it with a dressing such as gauze. The bottom line is to not allow cracked heels to remain that way and you will be fine.
