One of the most embarrassing things that you can have is foot odor especially if the public gets to know about the problem. Thankfully the problem is quite easy to solve especially if you are aware of the causes and are ready to take the necessary steps to control it and even better, prevent it from happening in the first place.

One of the easiest ways to settle this problem without making any major changes to your life or your footwear habits is simply to use deodorants or anti-perspirant on your feet, the same way that you may use it on other parts of your body. You should use deodorants and anti-perspirant that is available off the shelf from pharmacies or supermarkets first. Most of the time these products are more than enough to counter any offensive smells. If the smells still persist then you can get your doctor to prescribe clinical strength anti-perspirant or deodorant which is much stronger and can almost be guaranteed to kill all smells.

One of the biggest contributors to smelly feet is the type of footwear that you use. If you are particularly susceptible to this ailment then you have to be sure that you wear shoes, sneakers or sandals that provide enough airflow so that moisture doesnt have a chance to build-up. It is in a dark, moist and warm situation that bacteria can multiply the best. When there are a lot of bacteria growing on your feet their by-products from digesting the minerals, salts and dead skin will create the terrible stench of foot odor.

You should also be weary of what type of material is used to produce your footwear. Some shoes, sandals and slippers are made from cheap plastics which can actually react with the sweat that your feet will produce and cause terrible odors even without the bacteria present. This is why if you decide to use this cheap plastic footwear you will find that they have a very foul smell after you use them for some time. Those who have a history of feet smells should invest in good quality footwear that are made from leather or even cotton for sneakers.

The type of socks that you wear should also be considered. Socks often play a very important role in determining the moisture levels that is inside a shoe. Most cheap synthetic socks are very poor at absorbing liquids thus do not transfer it effectively to the shoe to relieve. Instead those who readily suffer from smelly feet should avoid all cheap polyester socks and only stick to loose knit 100% cotton socks.

One new method to approach smelly feet is Iontophoresis. Your feet are basically placed in a tray of tap water which as been mixed with salts like baking soda. A low current electric charge is passed through the water which will cause your feet to feel a strange tingling sensation. What it does is it sets off reactions in the sweat glands of the feet which cause some of it to shut down for a short time. If your sweat glands in your feet stop producing sweat then there is not enough moisture for bacteria to grow and thus no smell! A few session of this a week and your feet will be clean for a good few weeks.

If you are looking for nature remedies then the very first thing you have to consider is an imbalance in your sympathetic nervous system which can cause excessive sweating. There is no single drug that can cure this situation. Only modification of your diet to increase raw vegetables and reduce carbohydrates has been shown to help this situation.

Sometimes an imbalance in the types of food that you eat will also lead to excessive sweat of even the growth of certain bacteria that cause smelly feet. These imbalances can cause hormonal changes or even changes in the chemical constituency of sweat thus promoting growth. A perfect example would be excessive intake of sugars and carbohydrates which can make your feet a breeding grown for fungus and bacteria.

One other method that is said to work is to increase your number of meals per day to 6. You should be eating the same amount of food but just spread over more meals. This when combined with a regular exercise routine will increase your bodys metabolism and enable your body to fight the bacteria in your feet that causes the stink more effectively.