The sun's out - don't put a foot wrong.....

The sun's out - don't put a foot wrong

Published by Dr. Christian Jessen

I am often asked, what is the yuckiest thing I have ever seen. The answer is feet, and the diseases thereof.

In my job I see fungal infections, in-growing toenails,verrucas and blisters. Now that the weather is improving, feet are on display outside of the clinic too, thanks to open footwear. It's time for a quick guide to the more common foot problems.

Most important is the simple effect of suddenly exposing one's feet to the sun. Feet count as skin too, so are as susceptible to the effects of the sun as any other part of the body. Doctors are seeing more and more cases of skin cancer on feet than ever before. Like your face, your feet need sunscreen, especially when you are sitting outside for a lunchtime sandwich.

Secondly, it is vital to wear shoes that fit properly. Women hate having bunions or deformed toes and one way to help avoid this is to shun overly pointy high heels. There is a genetic element to bunions, but any foot surgeon will tell you horror stories about the damage high heels can do. Seventy-five per cent of people develop foot problems during their lifetime, most because of poor choice of footwear. Women statistically have four times the foot problems of men - avoiding high heels would probably see a 50 per cent reduction in foot problems in women.

The next most common foot problem is fungal infection, be it in the skin between the toes - athlete's foot - or in the nails themselves. Warm weather, which induces the feet to sweat, will cause more fungal infections to occur; remove shoes and socks as much as possible to allow feet to dry out. Anti-fungal creams bought over the counter should clear up most fungal skin infections but nails that have become thickened, yellow and crumbly due to fungus will certainly need extra help from a GP, who will probably prescribe tablets to kill the fungus. The tablets may take a good six months or more to work. People who claim to have very stinky feet often have undiagnosed fungal infections. If you live your life in trainers, then you will not be helping the matter, so always opt for natural fibre shoes and socks where possible, or bare feet.

Corns are another condition that are mainly shoe-related and are caused by friction and pressure when the bony parts of feet rub against shoes.

Treating corns yourself is not advisable if you have diabetes or circulatory problems - see your doctor.

Verrucas are one of the commonest foot infections, caused by the wart virus, and easily spread. Most will go away on their own in time - a good thing, given that few over-the-counter treatments actually work. Your doctor can burn or freeze the wart away.

Finally, we have the dreaded in-growing toenail, which occurs when a piece of the nail at the side of the toe breaks the skin and starts pushing underneath it. It's often caused by not cutting nails properly and is commonly seen in the big toe. A doctor can remove the part of the nail cutting into the skin but this will involve a small operation. In-growing toenails can be avoided by cutting the nails straight across and level with the top of the toe.

How to avoid most of these problems? Let your feet breath as much as possible and make sure your shoes fit properly. It's that simple.

Please call the Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center office anytime @702-878-2455 between Monday – Friday and we would be happy to set up an appointment for you.  Please visit our website @ www.FallCenter.com  The Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center has Diagnostic imaging:  Digital X-Rays, Ultrasound or Advanced Imaging will be used to aid in the diagnosis.

Dr. Anthony Ricciardi at the Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center has completed training in endoscopic/minimally invasive surgery for chronic heel pain and nerve pain, foot and ankle joint replacement for restoring pain free motion, arthroscopic surgery, bunion surgery, fracture repair, flat foot correction, external fixation for complex deformities and extensive experience in peripheral nerve surgery including diabetic peripheral neuropathy and reconstructive surgery of previously failed foot surgical procedures.  In addition to his surgical training Dr. Ricciardi focuses on sports medicine of the foot and ankle through regenerative techniques using the patient’s own blood/platelets for healing chronic foot and ankle problems (pain) as a result of repetitive sport injuries.  This cutting edge technology enables patients to continue training with little or no down time.  Dr. Ricciardi continues to be active in teaching and training other podiatric surgeons on innovative surgical techniques in foot surgery.  Dr. Ricciardi is Board Certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and Fellow of the Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons.  Dr. Ricciardi’s vision is to bring each patient the most current state of the Art Technology and personalized treatment options to meet their Foot and Ankle needs (from conservative care to surgical options).  Dr. Ricciardi believes in quality service and puts his patients first!