Foot Pain Part 3
Athletes Foot, Ugly Nails, and Burning Feet

The most common fungal skin infection, which is also called ringworm because of its characteristic appearance of ring or rounded tunnel under the skin, is the tinea. Tinea infections affect the head, body, groin, feet, and nails.

To obtain a specimen for diagnosis, the lesion is cleaned, and a scalpel or glass slide is used to remove scales from the margin of the lesion.

The scales are dropped onto a slide to which potassium hydroxide has been added. The diagnosis is made by examination of the infected scales microscopically for spores and hyphae or by isolating the organism in culture.

Athlete’s Foot (Tinea Pedis)

Tinea pedis, more popularly known as athlete’s foot, is the most common fungal infection. It is especially prevalent in those who use communal showers or swimming pools.

Tinea pedis may appear as an acute or chronic infection on the soles of the feet or between the toes. The toenail may also be involved. Lymphangitis and cellulites occur occasionally when bacterial “super infection” occurs. Sometimes, a mixed infection involving fungi, bacteria, and yeast occurs.

Treatment

During the acute, vesicular phase, soaks of Burrow’s solution or potassium permanganate solutions are used to remove the crusts, scales, and debris and to reduce the inflammation.

Topical anti-fungal agents, such as miconazole and clotrimazole, are applied to the infected areas. Topical therapy is continued for several weeks because of the high rate of recurrence.

Medical Management

Footwear provides a favorable environment for fungi, and the causative fungus may be in the shoes or socks. Because moisture encourages the growth of fungi, the patient is instructed to keep the feet as dry as possible, including the areas between the toes.

Small pieces of cotton can be placed between the toes at night to absorb moisture. Socks should be made of cotton, and hosiery should have cotton feet, because cotton is an effective absorber of perspiration.

For people whose feet perspire excessively, perforated shoes permit better aeration of the feet. Plastic or rubber-soled footwear should be avoided. Talcum powder or anti-fungal applied twice daily helps to keep the feet dry. Several pairs of shoes should be alternated so that they can dry completely before being worn again.

Ugly Nails

It hardly seems fair, does it? How can little things like fingernails and toenails cause such big problems?

Broken nails are ugly. Hangnails are ugly and painful. Ingrown nails are ugly and painful and potentially harmful. And nail fungus is ugly and painful and potentially harmful and disgusting.

It is also unfair that some people are born with brittle, problem-prone nails. Others find that their nails start acting up when they get older. But everyone can avoid problems if they do things right.

Assessing the Nails

A brief inspection of the nails includes observation of configuration, color, and consistency. Many alterations in the nail or nail bed reflect local or systemic abnormalities in progress or resulting from past events.

Transverse depressions known as Beau’s lines in the nails may reflect retarded growth of the nail matrix because of severe illness or, more commonly, local trauma. Ridging, hypertrophy, and other changes may also be visible with local trauma.

Paronychia, an inflammation of the skin around the nail, is usually accompanied by tenderness and erythema. The angle between the normal nail and its base is 160 degrees. When palpated, the nail base is usually firm.

To treat ugly nails, you should try using innovative products such as “medicated” nail polish. It contains natural “antiseptic moisturizer” that facilitates the eradication of many classifications of bacterial organisms and fungus.

You can also use nail treatments with specially formulated anti-fungal solutions to help eliminate fungal infections.

Burning Feet

Burning feet is another type of foot ailment, wherein people experience a burning sensation, usually during the night. This particular foot ailment is common on people age 50 years and above. However, it can also happen to the younger generation.

There are many causes of burning feet, but the most common causative factors are overweight, neuropathy on diabetic patients, blood disorders, shoe and sock sizes, erythromelagia, and blood disorders, such as pernicious anemia.

There are no easy ways to treat burning feet. Hence, it is important for the patient to visit a rheumatologist, a podiatrist, or a neurologist. A series of tests and examinations will be conducted in order to come up with solid diagnostic findings about the disorder.

All of these things are boiled down to the fact that keeping your feet in good condition means proper protection against the elements.

An extra investment may be required, but in the end, the comfort and reduced risk of complications will be well worth the added expense.