5 Suggestions for Keeping Your Feet Healthy

Are you confident that your daily decisions aren’t negatively affecting your foot health? There are a lot of variables that we subconsciously factor into our choices of footwear and care on a daily basis-that we may not even realize are potentially detrimental. Below is a short list of suggestions that will help prevent a trip to the doctor due to your casual decisions.

• Pay close attention to your feet during routine hygiene; this includes noting the skin texture/quality, toenail color, & any irregular lumps and bumps

• If you’re aging, stay on top of keeping the skin on your plantar and dorsal feet moisturized. Dry, cracking skin is more prone to fungal, bacterial and viral infections

• Wear shoes that are well fitting and match your activity levels for each day. I.e. if you’re spending all day walking at a mall, or an amusement park choose a pair of supportive running shoes instead of something fashionable

• There’s a time and place for stilettos and flip-flops. Both can cause a flare-up of plantar fasciitis or achilles tendinitis, so if you know you’re going to have a long day save them for the short and sweet occasions exclusively

• Going barefoot seems so attractive at waterparks, the community pool, and the beach, but sometimes this can be a big mistake. Areas that are high traffic and always wet can be a breeding ground for fungi and viruses. This is the time to grab your favorite pair of podiatrist recommended flip flops and avoid cutting your foot on a shell at the beach, or picking up athlete’s foot in the locker room

**This blog and the medical information it presents is made possible by Dr. Michael Garvin of Port Saint Lucie, Florida. He has been practicing board certified podiatry for over 20 years and accepts new patients. Visit his website for additional information here. To schedule an appointment, or find directions to his office click here.

Plantar Warts

Plantar Warts are characterized by a rough, often cauliflower like lesion on the plantar surface of the skin. The lesion can be a variety of shapes and sizes, and can be solo or present in a cluster known as mosaic verrucae. Often times the lesion appears to have pinpoint bleeding marks, and the edges of the lesion can be elevated due to hyperkaratosis (excessive skin formation) although, not to be confused with a corn or callus. Warts are technically known as verrucae and can be exceedingly difficult to eliminate. Warts (the non-sexually transmitted type) that present on the superficial skin are due to infection by human papillomavirus (HPV), serotypes 1,2 & 4. Generally the young and the old are most susceptible to non-sexually transmitted warts. The most common age group affected by warts is 5-16 years of age. The hand is the most common site of manifestation, followed by the plantar surface (sole) of the foot.

Warts can be transmitted via direct or indirect contact through tiny cuts or invisible abrasions present on the skin. They can also be transmitted to different sites on an individuals body once infected by certain behaviors such as biting finger nails and/or skin alongside the nails; this is known as autoinoculation. Not only can warts be unsightly, but they can also cause pain during walking if present at inopportune sites of the feet.

If you have a lesion you might suspect is a wart on your foot, please visit Dr. Michael Garvin’s website for more information regarding warts and treatments. Dr. Garvin is based in Port St. Lucie, Florida and accepts new patients. Call his East office at 772-335-7171, or the West office at 772-871-6020 to schedule an appointment today!

Warts on your feet?

Commonly known as plantar verrucae, the plantar wart is caused by the Human Papillomavirus. The virus attacks the skin through direct contact, entering through possibly tiny cuts and abrasions in the outermost layer of the skin. Infection typically occurs from moist walking surfaces such as showers or swimming pools. After the infection, warts may not become visible for several weeks or months. Because of pressure on the sole of the foot, the wart is pushed inward and a layer of hard skin may form over the wart. Depending on where the warts are located, some may cause pain when walking. A common misconception about plantar warts is that they have roots which can grow deep into the tissues and attach to the bone. This is not true. A wart only grows in the top layer of skin and although the wart may extend slightly deeper, this is generally due to walking, putting pressure on the affected area and pushing the wart deeper into the tissue.

Because plantar warts are spread by contact with moist walking surfaces, they can be prevented by not walking barefoot in public areas such as showers or communal changing rooms (wearing flip flops or sandals helps), not sharing shoes and socks, and avoiding direct contact with warts on other parts of the body or on other people. Humans build immunity with age, so infection is less common among adults than children. The virus can survive many months without a host, making it highly contagious. There are many different treatments for warts including topical acid, freezing, laser and surgery to name a few.

Warts on the bottom of the foot can look a lot like calluses, so when in doubt, it is best to have it looked at by a Dr. Garvin. So if you or a loved one is suffering with a painful wart that just won’t go away, call Dr. Garvin’s office today at 772-335-7171 and schedule an appointment.