Ask The Experts
I have red and irritated 1st met-pad on both feet after swimming. It's not a full blister - just red and hurts a lot.
Thank you for contacting IPFH. We do not diagnose or provide medical advice on line. You don’t say how long it has been since your feet have been irritated and painful, but if these symptoms have lasted for more than a few days, we would recommend that you consult your primary care physician or a foot health professional. You also don’t say where you went swimming, but if it was at a pool that has a concrete or hard deck, and if you were walking around barefooted for a significant time (especially if you are not accustomed to walking barefooted) you simply may have irritated the skin on the soles of your feet. This can happen, since friction and shear forces occur as we walk, and when the skin on our feet is accustomed to being protected by footwear it is more vulnerable to these forces when we walk barefooted. We hope your feet will soon be feeling better, but again, if they have not improved within two or three days, we would urge you to consult a medical professional. You can learn more about foot health for beach and water sports by reading IPFH's article at this link.