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June 2009
Foot Problems
By Dr Rob Hicks
Each foot is an engineering masterpiece made up of 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. But we tend to ignore our feet and take them for granted - until something goes wrong.
Athletes Foot
It's not only athletes who get this fungal infection, which loves to grow in warm, moist areas of the body. Between sweaty toes is an ideal home for the fungus, which is usually picked up from swimming pools and communal changing rooms.It makes the skin itchy, red and sore and, if not treated, the skin soon becomes soggy and starts to crack and peel. The fungus can also spread to the toenails.If the area affected is moist, it should be treated with an anti-fungal spray; if the area is dry, use an anti-fungal cream. These are available from your pharmacist without prescription. In mild cases powder can be used. To prevent it returning, pay attention to drying between the toes after bathing. Regularly dabbing between them with surgical spirit on cotton wool is a good idea for very sweaty feet. Make sure you allow your shoes or trainers to dry out for at least 24 hours after you've worn them - this means not wearing the same ones every day. Never use creams between your toes as this will make them more moist.
Toenail Problems
During an average three months, a toenail grows 1cm (at 0.1mm each day). White spots can appear following simple knocks to the nail, vertical ridges appear with age and fungus can invade from the surrounding skin.Avoid pointing anything sharp down the sides of a toenail because it can become infected and will be swollen, red and painful. Similar symptoms happen when the toenail grows into the corner - an ingrowing toenail.Usually, removal of the offending nail spike by a podiatrist, gentle cleansing and sometimes antibiotics are all that are required to treat an ingrowing toenail, but an operation to remove part of the toenail is sometimes necessary.
Verrucas
These are caused by a virus that infects the skin. They're similar to warts on hands. They can be difficult to spot and are often painless when small. They usually appear as areas of rough skin, sometimes with tiny black spots in them. Most often they're passed around where it's wet and people are walking barefoot, such as at swimming pools and in gym showers. They're easier to treat when small. Salicylic acid treatments from the pharmacist can work if they're caught early.Other treatments include:
- Freezing with liquid nitrogen
- Electrosurgery
- Laser Treatment
- Surgical Removal
Foot note
Simple footcare and wearing correctly fitting footwear will ensure your feet stay healthy.
This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Rob Hicks in April 2008 for the BBC
May 2009