Helping the homeless

Many of the foot conditions in our homeless populations are highly preventable. We can all help by having packages of socks in our cars or briefcases to distribute to the homeless people we meet each and every day.

Flip Flops

People who spend the whole day wearing  flip flops are setting themselves up for foot pain. They don’t provide support and can cause   arch and heel pain.

National Foot Health Month

May is National Foot Health Month. It is a good opportunity to have your feet checked and to have your issues dealt with by a Podiatrist. Allow us to improve your quality of life.

New Treatment for Fungal Toenails

toenail-fungusOnychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nails. The nails may appear brittle, loose. thickened with crumbling edges, white, yellowish, have streaks, or  lack shine.  This type of infection can be very difficult to treat especially in the toenails.  Jublia is a recently released product that  leads to fungal death and reduction of your infection.

Swelling Feet

Each day in my podiatry practice I am asked about foot swelling. This can occur for a variety of reasons. One is prolonged sitting in a fixed position such as on a long airline trip.. Many of us notice that our shoes seem to be much tighter after the flight, especially if we have removed our shoes. Other times it can be from prolonged standing throughout the day.

The veins are the anatomical structure  necessary to bring blood from our feet to our heart. If there is some compromise of the veins swelling of the feet can become an issue. As we age our veins weaken and the valves inside them tend to stretch. This will result in reflux and accumulation of fluid in our feet.

In both of the above cases there are some simple treatments that can alleviate or reduce the fluid in the feet. Exercise helps greatly as the muscles in the lower extremity can force the fluid back towards the heart. Another simple treatment is to elevate your feet above of the level of  your heart. Over the counter compression stockings can also be used if necessary. These can be purchased  in most pharmacies and are very effective.

Of course there are  other more serious causes and one should always consider speaking to your family doctor if these simple methods do not work.

Don’t forget the sunscreen

imagesWith the harshness of the winter many people are choosing to take vacations in the sunny south. Please remember to sunscreen your feet as they are also susceptible to sunburn.

Battling Dry Heels

Each day in my podiatry practice, patients are complaining of dry and scaling heels. Most times these are merely annoying but for some patients this is more serious as fissures and cracks may develop. These cracks can be painful and potentially become infected.

Here are my recommendations.

  1. Soak the feet in plain water with a tablespoon of baby oil.
  2. Gently pat the feet dry.
  3. Apply moisturizing cream. I suggest vaseline intensive care, Keri lotion, Lubiderm and Lachydrin.
  4. Allow 10 minutes to absorb
  5. Wrap with saran wrap or apply vaseline petroleum jelly.  Put your  socks  on and wear them overnight.

Over the years I have found this to be extremely successful.