Summer is finally here! The days are longer, the air smells crispier and the weather is warmer.  Now is the time to walk more and enjoy the outdoors! Warm weather means sweaty feet. However increased foot activity also exposes you to one of the most common foot problems, athlete’s foot.  If it is caught early, it can be treated successfully very quickly with topical antifungals, but if it is neglected, it can lead to pain and discomfort in your feet.

The fungus that causes athlete’s foot is knows as tinea pedis. It causes dry, itchy, and red skin in between your toes and around your feet. The fungus loves warm, dark, and humid environments, like in your socks and shoes.  It can also spread easily by direct contact with contaminated surfaces such as yoga mats, floors, and gym showers. In many cases fungal skin infections will spread to the toenails, making the management of fungal foot infections more challenging.

If your skin looks a bit dry, flaky, and red, and does not respond to the usual moisturises, I encourage you to book an appointment with one of our podiatrists.  At Medipod Clinics, all our practitioners are trained to deal with fungal infections, but Natalie has a particular interest in this area.

Natalie has some excellent tips that can help you avoid getting athlete’s foot.

• Keep your feet clean and dry, especially between your toes. After your daily shower, don’t forget to dry your feet before putting your shoes and socks on.
• Change your socks daily and choose light, well-ventilated shoes. Avoid synthetic materials like vinyl or rubber.
• Alternate your footwear. You may also consider an anti-bacterial/ anti-fungal spray for your shoes to prevent fungal growth.
• Avoid walking bare foot in public areas, like the gym, and other community areas. Wear waterproof shoes or flipflops in public showers, pools, and other shared places.
• Don’t share towels or footwear. Athlete’s foot is very contagious, avoid sharing towels or shoes with others.

Our management plans vary according to severity of the infection and your individual needs. The podiatrist will discuss a management plan according to your requirements and advise you on how to best care for your feet.

If you are experiencing any discomfort in your feet, we are more than happy to help. Give us a call today on 01455 246100 to chat through your needs.

We also offer treatments for nails, hard skin, ingrown toenails, and advice for people with Diabetes. With our expertise and experience, you will have full peace of mind when it comes to your foot health.

For more information about our range of treatments, please contact us on 01455 246100. We would love to help you with any foot health issues you may have.

Thank you for reading – Warm Weather Means Sweaty Feet: Preventing Athlete’s Foot.

Faye Vogiatzoglou
Clinical Director

http://medipodclinics.com/

The post Warm Weather Means Sweaty Feet: Preventing Athlete’s Foot appeared first on Medipod Clinics.

Children can get many of the same foot problems as adults. But some conditions may take on different characteristics, and some may occur more frequently in children due to their active lifestyles. Or sensitive skin, and developing bodies. The most common foot and ankle issues seen in children and teens include:

Heel Pain (Sever’s disease)

Heel pain in children is often caused by repetitive stress on the growth plate in the heel bone.

Running, jumping, and pounding on hard surfaces can irritate the heel’s growth plate. Causing muscle strain and inflamed tissue. It is very common in active children from 8 to 14 years of age. The new bone is still forming at the growth plate and doesn’t fully develop until at least age 14.

Treatment for heel pain typically includes taking a break from activities that put stress on the heel bone. Using orthotics to support the heel, taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication to ease pain symptoms. Or having supportive and correctly fitted footwear, and stretching the Achilles tendon and calf muscles. Immobilizing the foot and ankle may be necessary for severe cases of paediatric heel pain. If the heel pain persists or reoccurs, other treatments may be explored.

Flexible Flatfoot – Common Foot Problems in Children

Flexible flatfoot is most common in young children. It is characterized by an arch that disappears when the child stands up (so the feet appear flat) but reappears when sitting.

The condition usually occurs in both feet. Most children do not experience any symptoms from the condition, but those who do may feel pain or cramping in the feet or legs while walking. In most cases, children outgrow the disorder without treatment by the age of 7.

If your child does experience symptoms, they can usually be alleviated by wearing supportive shoes and custom-made shoe orthotics for arch support. Seek advice from an experienced podiatrist if your child stops playing sports or withdraws from other physical activities or is in pain as a result of flatfoot symptoms.

Ingrown Toenails

An ingrowing toenail is a toenail that grows into the skin surrounding the toenail. It usually occurs on the big toe and causes tenderness, redness, and swelling around the corners of the toenail. Ingrown toenails are often caused by tight shoes and improper cutting of toenails.

Treatment typically involves soaking the affected foot in warm water and using an antibiotic ointment to reduce the risk of infection. If the problem persists, your podiatrist may cut or lift the corner of the nail to allow the toe to heal more easily. A minor surgical procedure may also be considered in some cases.

Plantar Warts – Common Foot Problems in Children

Plantar warts usually develop on weight-bearing areas of the foot, such as the heel or ball of the foot. They are non-cancerous skin growths caused by a viral infection – human papillomavirus (HPV) – in the top layers of the skin. Warts are transmitted easily through person to person contact as well as indirectly, such as from floors in communal areas (locker rooms and public showers). They are highly contagious.

Plantar warts may eventually go away on their own without treatment, but if they are painful, your podiatrist can remove a plantar wart easily and more effectively than an over-the-counter remedy.

Athletes Foot

Athlete’s foot or tinea pedis is a common and contagious fungal infection. It can cause a scaly rash that can burn, sting, and itch and may lead to blisters or dry, cracked skin on your feet.

Athletes foot usually appears between the toes and on the soles of the feet and can spread to the toenails and cause fungal nail infections. It occurs after direct exposure to fungi (including yeast), typically in a moist environment like a locker room, public shower, or swimming pool or from the skin-to-skin contact with an infected person.

Treatment involves over-the-counter antifungal creams and sprays. You should also make sure that you dry your feet well, especially in between the toes and change socks daily.

If you are experiencing any discomfort in your feet, we are more than happy to help. Give us a call today on 01455 246100 to chat through your needs.

For more information about our range of treatments, please contact us on 01455 246100. We would love to help you with any foot health issues you or your child may have.

Thank you for reading,
Faye Vogiatzoglou

http://medipodclinics.com/

The post Common Foot Problems in Children appeared first on Medipod Clinics.

Like many microbes, there are helpful fungi and harmful fungi. When harmful fungi invade the body, they can be difficult to kill, as they can survive in the environment and re-infect the person trying to get better.

Fungus quite often affects the nails and can cause significant discoloration. Nails that have been damaged are particularly susceptible to fungal invasion. It can also affect the skin causing visible skin changes, redness, and itching.

DIAGNOSIS OF FUNGAL FOOT INFECTION

There are a few ways to test for presence of fungal spores. At Medipod Clinics, we use the Dermatophyte Test Strip (DTS). It is simple, accurate and shows results in just 5 minutes. It can be performed as part of your podiatry treatment and offers a very reliable diagnosis. This will enable your podiatrist to start the right antifungal treatment immediately without having to send clippings to an external laboratory. Your GP will also be informed of the results, as systemic medication may be needed.

TREATMENTS IN FUNGAL FOOT INFECTION

Treatment for fungal foot infections will depend on the type, severity, medical history of the patient and age. Anyone with a weakened immune system may be more likely to contract a fungal infection, as well as anyone who is taking antibiotics. Cancer treatment and Diabetes can also make a person more prone to fungal infections.

Most fungal skin infections can be treated with over-the-counter or prescription creams. Severe infections may require additional methods.

Topical agents for Tinea Pedis (skin infection)
Tinea pedis is a condition that is generally responds to topical antifungal agents.
Most formulations are available in the clinic as well as in the chemist.

These include Canesten, Dactarin, Dactarin Gold, Grisol, Mycota, Lamisil and Mycil.

KEY POINT

Topical Terbinafine (Lamisil) has been shown to be equally effective for treating tinea pedis in all its forms, such as a spray, cream and film-forming solution.

Based on the available evidence to date, older preparations such as Whitfield’s ointment (benzoic and salicylic acid) are probably less effective than azoles and terbinafine. Tea tree oil (Melaleuca) and Vicks remain a popular over-the-counter treatment but can cause skin irritation.

KEY POINT

The use of tea tree oil and Vicks in the treatment of onychomycosis is not recommended by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

Onychomycosis – Nail Fungal Infection

When onychomycosis is considered to be mild to moderate, topical agents can be considered. Treatment requires good compliance as it can take 12-18 months. Studies have proven that the delivery of topical drugs to the infected nail can be enhanced by reducing the nail on a regular basis.

Amorolfine 5%, Curanail 3% are nail lacquers that inhibit the growth on fungus.

Mykored , Excilor and Emtrix create a nail environment in which the fungus finds it difficult to grow, therefore they help the appearance of the nail.

KEY POINT

Nail reduction prior to antifungal treatment in onychomycosis improves the cure rate.

Systemic Medication

If the infection is severe, affecting majority of the surface of the nail and the nail root, oral medication can be prescribed by your G.P.

KEY POINT

Any patient receiving systemic antifungal agents should first have the infection confirmed to prevent prescribing errors.

Fenestration of the nail (Lacuna Method)

Most topical agents are ineffective at penetrating the nail plate to reach the active infection on the nail bed (the skin under the nail).

By making micro holes in the nail plate your podiatrist can enable you to apply the anti-fungal agent, such as Lamisil spray, directly to the infected nail bed.

The Lamisil Spray will spread under the nail as you walk and with daily application the fungus is stopped from spreading and the damaged nail grows out.

KEY POINT

Current evidence has shown many significant benefits of fenestration in the treatment of onychomycosis.

Laser devices emit pulses of energy that impart heat to tissues that it contacts. The effect of the laser on fungal nails relies on the fungal cells absorbing this heat, which kills the microbe.
The laser energy penetrates through the toenail, to the nail bed beneath where the fungus is likely also present. This ability to penetrate the full thickness of the toenail is probably what leads to the promising results seen thus far with laser treatment. However, current evidence is very limited as this is a new management method.

KEY POINT

The cost of receiving laser treatment for onychomycosis as well as the limited evidence of its effectiveness make it less favourable amongst patients.

Podiatrists at Medipod Clinics are trained to diagnose, test and treat fungal foot infections. We understand how your foot works and we tailor a treatment plan to your needs. If you are already concerned about your feet, we are more than happy to help. With our expertise and experience, you will have full peace of mind when it comes to your foot health.

We also offer other podiatry services, counselling , audiology and physiotherapy services.

For more information about our podiatry services, please contact us on 01455 246100. We would love to help you with any foot related questions.

Thank you for reading,

Faye Vogiatzoglou
http://medipodclinics.com

The post What You Need To Know About Fungal Foot Infections appeared first on Medipod Clinics.