What causes toe jam and what can be done about it?

'Toe Jam' is not a diagnosis or a medical term and is a term for the unpleasant stuff that builds up between your toes that jokes are frequently made about it. Having said that, you do have to take this seriously because once in a while it can result in issues. The build up between your toes consists of several things including the lint from hosiery, especially if they may be new, dead skin cells and flakes, dirt, perspiration as well as other particles which we get subjected to. Toe jam can have the look and feel of a smooth cheese and vary in colour from a whitened to a greyish brown. This has a tendency to develop much more within the dark as well as moistened tight areas between toes, particularly if footwear is worn all day long. A cheese like foot smell might build up through microbial breakdown of your skin cellular material. The bacteria mainly the reason for that cheese like aroma is the Brevibacterium linens micro organism. Fascinatingly, this is the bacteria that is employed in some cheese production procedures. This issue is much more frequent in people who reside in damp and warm climates, those who's feet perspire a lot more for example sports athletes, those who use closed-in footwear, those who have poor foot hygiene and do not inspect their feet, who don’t clean their own feet on a regular basis and those who don’t dry between their toes. Some jobs which include those who require closed in shoes in hotter environments can also increase the risk with this. If the problem is not addressed there are a number of problems which may occur, such as bacterial and fungal infection. The epidermis may macerate and splits may develop in the epidermis between your toes. Several problems may look much like toe jam and if this may be a difficulty, then a appropriate assessment may be needed to find out this. This can include things such as corns between your toes along with a number of infections.

The easiest method to deal with toe jam is to use effective foot cleanliness routines which involve regular bathing and cleaning up between your toes and also drying out between your toes that can stop the accumulation of the items that cause the problem. Clean absorbent hosiery really should be worn daily and changed after exercise that can help absorb perspiration. Whenever possible, utilize shoes which will allow the perspiration to evaporate or wick dampness from the foot. People with a sweaty foot condition might want to take on extra precautions, which include using absorbent shoe inserts and socks. Any kind of fungal infection will need to be treated with anti-fungal topicals. Special consideration should be given to individuals who have problems with self care when they have problems with movement or eyesight. Information will have to be provided to carers and/or close relatives about performing self-care and practising effective foot health. There are a selection of commercially available foot cleansing products and brushes which you can use to facilitate this. Above all, toe jam is not severe, but you should take it seriously especially if you have something like diabetes as it can trigger additional issues.