Taking care of our feet is important for many different reasons. Diseases like diabetes can cause serious problems with our circulation and this can ultimately affect the health of our feet. Seeing a podiatrist regularly and treating any foot conditions or having preventative maintenance done is critical. There are many different types of foot care treatments that can be done to help treat and heal various foot problems.
Diabetic Foot Care
Diabetics have to take special care of their feet. The Mayo Clinic reports that not keeping a careful watch on your blood sugar levels can lead to a more serious condition known as diabetic neuropathy. When diabetic neuropathy occurs, diabetics can develop nerve damage in their feet and this can lead to poor circulation and open wounds. Taking care of the feet, trimming the nails, keeping the feet clean and dry are some ways that a diabetic can help to take care of her feet. Seeing a podiatrist once a year, or more if a condition develops, is important. A podiatrist can prescribe foot creams such as DiabetiDerm to help rejuvenate the skin. Open sores or wounds may be treated with medications or debridement (cleaning out old tissue so that healthy tissue can grow), using Dermagraft to help grow new, healthy tissues and heal the wound are sometimes used. A podiatrist may even use hyperbaric oxygen treatment to help heal stubborn wounds.
Fungus
There are several different kinds of fungus that can occur on the feet. Fungus can develop on the toenails, between the toes or on the foot itself. The treatment for this type of problem usually begins by prescribing antifungal medications, such as diflucan. If it is a nail fungus that you suffer from, the physician may prescribe an antifungal nail lacquer such as Penlac to apply to the toenail. According to the Mayo Clinic, if the nail infection is severe or painful, then removing the nail may be necessary. This will allow the podiatrist to have better access to the infection and treat it more effectively. Also, debridement of the wound may be necessary to promote healing. For athlete's foot or a foot fungus on another part of the foot a topical medication such as voriconazole may be prescribed. According to John D. Mozena, DPM and Joshua P. Mitnick, DPM with Podiatry Today, particularly stubborn cases of fungus can be treated by laser therapy, which uses infrared wavelengths to cause photo damage to microbes.
Plantar Warts
Plantar warts are a serious issue for many people. These warts tend to grow inward and for that reason can cause significant pain and discomfort. They also frequently reoccur and cause the person to take repeated trips to see a podiatrist for removal. Removal of these painful warts can be done in several different ways. In the past, this was done by surgical removal or cutting out the wart. However, with new advances, lasers are proving to be a better way to surgically remove the wart. If the wart is small, the podiatrist may choose to use chemosurgery or acids to remove the wart. However, chemosurgery can take up to six weeks to remove the entire wart.
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