One of my favorite summer past-times is swimming. Leading up to this bathing suit season, I have also spent many hours in the gym. Both of these places are the perfect habitats for things such as fungus and warts, which can attack our feet!
Fungus, oh my!
Fungus can live anywhere, but it does prefer moist places. The gym and locker rooms are very common places to get fungus. For this reason it is important to wear shoes and socks at the gym and be careful where you are standing if you are changing in the locker room. Also, if you are showering at the gym, be sure to wear sandals or shower shoes. You never know who was standing in that spot before you. Fungus can affect the feet and the toe nails. It will cause itchy, scaling feet and thick toe nails. It is also important to dry well between your toes, or fungus can cause cracking in these areas which can lead to open wounds and even infections. If you are suspicious that you may have fungus, seek medical attention. You may need a cream or even an oral medication to treat the fungus. Although there are many over-the-counter creams, they are commonly not strong enough.
Woe are My Warts
Pools are a common place to get warts. They also like moist places and spread like wildfire, especially among children. Warts are a virus you get by contact and you most commonly treat from the outside in. They form hard, painful lesions, usually on the bottom of your feet. They start with one large mother lesion and can spread into many baby or satellite lesions across the entire foot. When they first start to form they can even look like a pimple. If you notice any irregular bumps on your foot, seek medical attention before they spread.
Each wart has their own blood supply. It is first important to shave the hard skin off of the wart until there is a small amount of bleeding. This means that you have gotten to the life supply of the wart. At this time, in the office we apply a strong acid to kill the wart at its blood supply. Other ways to cauterize the warts can be used, including heat and silver nitrate. You will then apply a lower dose of acid at home daily. Some offices will even try to freeze the wart off. Warts are very stubborn though, and this can require many visits to get rid of it. Some patients will decide they want the wart gone and will opt for surgical excision.
Protect your feet this summer and be sure to wear sandals, socks, or shoes in public places. If you notice any irregularities of your feet, call Hollowbrook Foot Specialists immediately at (845) 298-9074 for an appointment. Lets stop your foot problems before they get out of control! We are serving the Hudson Valley from Wappingers Falls.
