Many people enjoy going outdoors to soak in hot springs during the winter, and soaking their feet in hot water at home. This is very beneficial to health, as it can relieve fatigue and prevent winter illnesses. Today, the editor will talk about the taboos of foot soaking.
What are the taboos of foot soaking?
1. It is not advisable to soak your feet when you are too full or too hungry.
Because soaking your feet at this time will speed up blood circulation throughout the body, which can easily lead to dizziness and discomfort, and it will also affect the blood supply to the stomach.
2. Patients with special illnesses should not soak their feet.
Patients with heart disease, insufficient heart function, low blood pressure, or those who often feel dizzy should not soak their feet in water that is too hot. This is because it can cause blood vessels to dilate, and blood from vital organs will flow to the body surface, leading to ischemia and hypoxia in important organs like the heart and brain. For people with heart disease or low blood pressure, this increases the risk of an acute episode.
3. Diabetics should pay attention to the water temperature.
Because the peripheral nerves of these patients cannot sense external temperatures normally, they may not feel even if the water is very hot, and they can be easily scalded, which can lead to very serious consequences.
4. Children should not soak their feet.
Children are considered to have a "body of pure yang," which means they are prone to fevers and "heatiness." Soaking their feet in hot water and causing them to sweat would add more heat. This is especially true for infants and young children, whose sense of temperature is different from adults' water that feels slightly warm to an adult can be scalding hot for a child. But they are not very good at expressing it, so their delicate skin can easily be burned. Therefore, it is not recommended to soak infants' feet in hot water. It is sufficient to wash their little feet with warm water every day, and after washing, you can gently massage them to relax the muscles and bones.
5. Women should not indiscriminately use Chinese herbal medicine for foot soaking during their menstrual period.
The problems that occur during a woman's menstrual period are quite complex. If you use Chinese herbal medicine for foot soaking without first clarifying the cause, it will not only fail to have a soothing effect but might also worsen symptoms like menstrual cramps.
4 rules to follow for foot soaking
1. The duration of foot soaking should not be too long; 20-30 minutes is appropriate. You can stop when the area behind your heart is damp and sweat beads appear on your forehead. If you do not sweat while soaking, do not extend the time; soaking more frequently will help improve this.
2. It is best to soak your feet before bedtime, but at least one hour after a meal.
3. Lukewarm water at 40-50°C is most suitable. Covering the wooden bucket with a bath towel not only helps maintain the water temperature but also allows the knees to be placed inside the bucket, raising the knee temperature.
4. Drink a glass of water before and after soaking to aid metabolism and replenish body fluids.