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'''Foot odor''' (or '''foot odour''') is a type of [[body odor]] that affects the [[foot|feet]] of [[human|humans]]. It is sometimes considered to be an unpleasant smell, but can also be the target of [[foot fetishism]], more specifically as a form of [[olfactophilia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018035445/http://podiatry.curtin.edu.au/fetish.html#freud|title=The History of Footwear - Foot Fetish and Shoe Retifism|accessdate=28 May 2018}}</ref>
'''Foot odor''' ('''foot odour''' or '''bromodosis''') is a type of [[body odor]] that affects the [[foot|feet]] of [[human|humans]]. It is sometimes considered to be an unpleasant smell, but can also be the target of [[foot fetishism]], more specifically as a form of [[olfactophilia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018035445/http://podiatry.curtin.edu.au/fetish.html#freud|title=The History of Footwear - Foot Fetish and Shoe Retifism|accessdate=28 May 2018}}</ref>


It is one of the most widespread forms of olfactophilia: In a 1994 study, 45% of those with a [[foot fetish]] were found to be aroused by [[smelly socks]] and/or feet, but most importantly by the intensity of the smell produced by such bacteria.<ref>{{citation |title=Comprehensive handbook of psychopathology |author1=Patricia B. Sutker |author2=Henry E. Adams |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uEx84FQPYoAC|page=762 |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-306-46490-4}}</ref>
It is one of the most widespread forms of olfactophilia: In a 1994 study, 45% of those with a [[foot fetish]] were found to be aroused by [[smelly socks]] and/or feet, but most importantly by the intensity of the smell produced by such bacteria.<ref>{{citation |title=Comprehensive handbook of psychopathology |author1=Patricia B. Sutker |author2=Henry E. Adams |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uEx84FQPYoAC|page=762 |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-306-46490-4}}</ref>
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[[Bart Knols]] of [[Wageningen Agricultural University]] in the [[Netherlands]] received a 2006 "[[Ig Nobel Prize]]"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nobelprizes.com/nobel/2006-prizes.html |title=2006 Nobel Prize Announcements |publisher=The Nobel Prize Internet Archive}}</ref> for demonstrating that the female ''[[Anopheles gambiae]]'' [[mosquito]], known for transmitting [[malaria]], is "attracted equally to the smell of [[Limburger]] cheese and to the smell of human feet".<ref>{{citation |title=On Human Odour, Malaria Mosquitoes, and Limburger Cheese |author= Bart G.J. Knols |journal= The Lancet |volume= 348 |issue= 9037 |date= November 9, 1996 |page=1322|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(05)65812-6 |pmid=8909415}}</ref> [[Fredros Okumu]], of the [[Ifakara Health Institute]] in [[Tanzania]], received grants in 2009 and 2011 to develop [[mosquito control|mosquito attractant]]s and [[insect trap|trap]]s to combat malaria.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/13/stinky-socks-smell-malaria_n_896819.html |title= Scientists: Stinky Sock Smell Helps Fight Malaria |origyear=July 13, 2011 |date=July 15, 2011 | work=Huffington Post |first=Michael |last=McLaughlin}}</ref> He used a blend of eight chemicals four times more effective than actual human secretions.<ref>{{cite news |language = English |author = Susannah Palk |coauthors = |url = http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/07/26/tanzania.malaria.socks/index.html |title = 'Dirty sock smell' lures mosquitoes to a sticky end |publisher = CNN |pages = |date = 2 August 2011 |accessdate = 14 October 2018}}</ref>
[[Bart Knols]] of [[Wageningen Agricultural University]] in the [[Netherlands]] received a 2006 "[[Ig Nobel Prize]]"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nobelprizes.com/nobel/2006-prizes.html |title=2006 Nobel Prize Announcements |publisher=The Nobel Prize Internet Archive}}</ref> for demonstrating that the female ''[[Anopheles gambiae]]'' [[mosquito]], known for transmitting [[malaria]], is "attracted equally to the smell of [[Limburger]] cheese and to the smell of human feet".<ref>{{citation |title=On Human Odour, Malaria Mosquitoes, and Limburger Cheese |author= Bart G.J. Knols |journal= The Lancet |volume= 348 |issue= 9037 |date= November 9, 1996 |page=1322|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(05)65812-6 |pmid=8909415}}</ref> [[Fredros Okumu]], of the [[Ifakara Health Institute]] in [[Tanzania]], received grants in 2009 and 2011 to develop [[mosquito control|mosquito attractant]]s and [[insect trap|trap]]s to combat malaria.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/13/stinky-socks-smell-malaria_n_896819.html |title= Scientists: Stinky Sock Smell Helps Fight Malaria |origyear=July 13, 2011 |date=July 15, 2011 | work=Huffington Post |first=Michael |last=McLaughlin}}</ref> He used a blend of eight chemicals four times more effective than actual human secretions.<ref>{{cite news |language = English |author = Susannah Palk |coauthors = |url = http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/07/26/tanzania.malaria.socks/index.html |title = 'Dirty sock smell' lures mosquitoes to a sticky end |publisher = CNN |pages = |date = 2 August 2011 |accessdate = 14 October 2018}}</ref>


==Prevention==
==Prevention & Treatment==
Maintaining good foot hygiene is the best way to prevent foot odor as it eliminates odor causing bacteria and removes dead skin cells as well as [[sebum]]. A foot file or [[pumice stone]] can be used to remove dead skin cells.<ref>{{Cite web|title = The solution - Stinkyfeet|url = http://www.stinkyfeet.org/the-solution/|website = Stinkyfeet|access-date = 2016-02-12|language = en-US}}</ref>
Maintaining good foot hygiene is the best way to prevent foot odour as it eliminates odour causing bacteria and removes dead skin cells as well as [[sebum]]. A foot file, [[pumice stone]] or chemical treatment, such as an [[Alpha hydroxy acid]] containing foot peel preparation, can be used to remove dead skin cells.<ref>{{Cite web|title = The solution - Stinkyfeet|url = http://www.stinkyfeet.org/the-solution/|website = Stinkyfeet|access-date = 2016-02-12|language = en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=VELASCO |first1=PIA |title=Read This Before You Try the 'Baby Foot' Peel Craze |url=https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty-products/a38129/baby-foot-peel-safety/ |website=Good Housekeeping |accessdate=19 October 2019}}</ref>
Using antibacterial soap to wash feet daily; keeping feet dry by changing socks daily and wearing cotton or wool instead of synthetic fibres can also help reduce moisture build-up.
Using medicated insoles and foot powder can also help.<ref>{{cite web |title=How to stop smelly feet |url=https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/how-to-avoid-smelly-feet/ |website=NHS UK |publisher=National Health Service |accessdate=19 October 2019}}</ref>

In some cases, medical intervention may be needed to treat the bacterial or fungal infection with a topical antibacterial or fungicide.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fernández-Crehuet |first1=P |last2=Ruiz-Villaverde |first2=R |title=Pitted keratolysis: an infective cause of foot odour. |journal=CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal / journal de l'Association medicale canadienne |date=21 April 2015 |volume=187 |issue=7 |pages=519 |doi=10.1503/cmaj.140809 |pmid=25712956 |url=https://www.cmaj.ca/content/187/7/519 |accessdate=19 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ATHLETE'S FOOT (TINEA PEDIS) |url=https://www.summitmedicalgroup.com/library/pediatric_health/hhg_athlete_foot/ |website=Summit Medical Group |accessdate=19 October 2019}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 12:46, 19 October 2019

Foot odor (foot odour or bromodosis) is a type of body odor that affects the feet of humans. It is sometimes considered to be an unpleasant smell, but can also be the target of foot fetishism, more specifically as a form of olfactophilia.[1]

It is one of the most widespread forms of olfactophilia: In a 1994 study, 45% of those with a foot fetish were found to be aroused by smelly socks and/or feet, but most importantly by the intensity of the smell produced by such bacteria.[2]

Causes

The main cause is foot sweat (also see focal hyperhidrosis). Sweat itself is odorless; however, it creates a beneficial environment for certain bacteria to grow, producing odorous substances. These bacteria are naturally present on our skin as part of the human flora. The front part of the foot produces the most sweat.[3]

The smell is exacerbated by factors that increase sweating, such as wearing closed-toe shoes. Sports footwear such as sneakers is often heavily padded inside which provides a perfect environment to trap moisture and allow the bacteria to thrive. Socks can trap foot hair, especially on the toes, and may contribute to odor intensity by increasing surface area on which bacteria can thrive.[citation needed]

Given that socks directly contact the feet, their composition can affect foot odor. Synthetic materials like polyester and nylon afford less ventilation to the foot than do cotton or wool, leading to increased perspiration and odor, although they can also reduce incidence of blisters by wicking away perspiration. Many synthetic socks are treated with chemicals to help reduce odor.[4]

Wearing closed-toe shoes (e.g., ballet flats or pumps) without socks leads to accumulation of sweat, dead skin cells, dirt, and oils, further contributing to bacterial growth. Momentarily slipping off shoes whenever feet start to feel "hot" or sweaty can help prevent odor.[citation needed]

Odor qualities

The quality of foot odor is often described as being thick and resembling that of cheese, malt vinegar, or ammonia.[citation needed]

Brevibacteria are considered a major cause of foot odor because they ingest dead skin on the feet and, in the process, convert the amino acid methionine into methanethiol, a colorless gas with a distinctive sulfuric aroma. The dead skin that fuels this process is especially common on the sole and between the toes. Brevibacteria also give such cheeses as Limburger, Bel Paese, Port Salut, Pálpusztai and Munster their characteristic pungency.[5]

Propionic acid (propanoic acid), a breakdown product of Propionibacteria amino acid metabolism in adolescent and adult sebaceous gland ducts, is also present in many foot sweat samples.[citation needed]

Isovaleric acid (3-methyl butanoic acid), another other source of foot odor, is produced by Staphylococcus epidermidis, a bacterial species normally resident on human skin[6] and present in several strong-smelling varieties of cheese.[citation needed]

Other implicated microorganisms include Micrococcaceae, Corynebacterium and Pityrosporum.[7]

Bart Knols of Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands received a 2006 "Ig Nobel Prize"[8] for demonstrating that the female Anopheles gambiae mosquito, known for transmitting malaria, is "attracted equally to the smell of Limburger cheese and to the smell of human feet".[9] Fredros Okumu, of the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, received grants in 2009 and 2011 to develop mosquito attractants and traps to combat malaria.[10] He used a blend of eight chemicals four times more effective than actual human secretions.[11]

Prevention & Treatment

Maintaining good foot hygiene is the best way to prevent foot odour as it eliminates odour causing bacteria and removes dead skin cells as well as sebum. A foot file, pumice stone or chemical treatment, such as an Alpha hydroxy acid containing foot peel preparation, can be used to remove dead skin cells.[12][13] Using antibacterial soap to wash feet daily; keeping feet dry by changing socks daily and wearing cotton or wool instead of synthetic fibres can also help reduce moisture build-up. Using medicated insoles and foot powder can also help.[14]

In some cases, medical intervention may be needed to treat the bacterial or fungal infection with a topical antibacterial or fungicide.[15][16]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The History of Footwear - Foot Fetish and Shoe Retifism". Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  2. ^ Patricia B. Sutker; Henry E. Adams (2001), Comprehensive handbook of psychopathology, p. 762, ISBN 978-0-306-46490-4
  3. ^ "INTERACTION OF SILVER NITRATE WITH COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE COTTON SOCKS; RELATIONSHIP TO THE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTION OF SILVER IONS" (PDF). 21 February 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  4. ^ Smelly Feet (Foot Odor) ePodiatry.com
  5. ^ Betsy's Bacteria Wheaton College Quarterly
  6. ^ Ara, Katsutoshi; Masakatsu Hama; Syunichi Akiba; Kenzo Koike; Koichi Okisaka; Toyoki Hagura; Tetsuro Kamiya; Fusao Tomita (April 2006). "Foot odor due to microbial metabolism and its control". Canadian Journal of Microbiology. 52 (4): 357–364. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.1013.4047. doi:10.1139/w05-130. ISSN 0008-4166. PMID 16699586.
  7. ^ Kanlayavattanakul, M; Lourith N (August 2011). "Body malodours and their topical treatment agents". International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 33 (4): 298–311. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2494.2011.00649.x. PMID 21401651.
  8. ^ "2006 Nobel Prize Announcements". The Nobel Prize Internet Archive.
  9. ^ Bart G.J. Knols (November 9, 1996), "On Human Odour, Malaria Mosquitoes, and Limburger Cheese", The Lancet, 348 (9037): 1322, doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)65812-6, PMID 8909415
  10. ^ McLaughlin, Michael (July 15, 2011) [July 13, 2011]. "Scientists: Stinky Sock Smell Helps Fight Malaria". Huffington Post.
  11. ^ Susannah Palk (2 August 2011). "'Dirty sock smell' lures mosquitoes to a sticky end". CNN. Retrieved 14 October 2018. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  12. ^ "The solution - Stinkyfeet". Stinkyfeet. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
  13. ^ VELASCO, PIA. "Read This Before You Try the 'Baby Foot' Peel Craze". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  14. ^ "How to stop smelly feet". NHS UK. National Health Service. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  15. ^ Fernández-Crehuet, P; Ruiz-Villaverde, R (21 April 2015). "Pitted keratolysis: an infective cause of foot odour". CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal / journal de l'Association medicale canadienne. 187 (7): 519. doi:10.1503/cmaj.140809. PMID 25712956. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  16. ^ "ATHLETE'S FOOT (TINEA PEDIS)". Summit Medical Group. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
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