Causes of cracked heels

Introduction

Cracked heels occur when the skin on the bottom of the heelsand feet gets too dry, splits open and leaves painful cracks, which are alsocommonly referred to as fissures. These fissures can make walking a ratherpainful experience and they can also be associated with various serious typesof infections. Cracked heels and fissures are usually induced by insufficientamounts of moisture in those areas. In some cases these heels may even becomesore and lead to bleeding. There are various factors which can lead to thedevelopment of cracked heels. These usually include having diabetes, scrubbingfeet dry, using drying harsh soaps on the feet, taking very hot showers orbaths, dehydration or not drinking enough water, and cold winter weather. Ifthe skin on the feet becomes too dry, fissures tend to develop rather easily.As the skin tends to crack due to insufficient amounts of moisture, it may alsobegin to bleed very easily. As the deep fissures get developed, they provide anexcellent environment for the breeding or various different sorts of virusesand bacteria, so it all leads to different sorts of illnesses and infections.

Cracked Heels Risk Factors

The biggest risk factor for cracked heels is diabetes. Thosewho suffer from diabetes suffer from uncontrolled amounts of sugar in the bloodwhich easily leads to damage to the nerves in the feet and the development ofcracked heels. Another common problem for those who suffer from diabetes isthat they are much more prone to infections caused by cracked heels than thosewho do not suffer from diabetes. This is why all those who suffer from diabetesneed to check their feet for cracks or infections on a regular basis. Anothercommon risk factor for cracked heels is obesity. This is because excessiveweight puts so much more pressure on the heel pad so it tends to expand outfurther than it would normally do. When this occurs, dry skin on the heelscannot deal with the additional pressure and eventually it cracks. Wintermonths are the part of the year when everyone is much more prone to thedevelopment of cracked heels caused by abnormal skin dryness. Long, hot showersor baths may also be responsible for cracked heels in some cases. Poornutrition and improper amounts of water may also lead to the development ofcracked heels. In order to diagnose cracked heels, a person needs to visit apodiatrist.