The skin on our feet takes a beating. It’s sweating all day, stuck inside of dark shoes, and rubbing against the ground and our shoes and socks with every step. That’s why there are such a wide variety of skin problems that can develop on the feet; most require some type of treatment. As podiatrists, we almost have to have a secondary specialty in dermatology! If you have any of these problems or any other skin condition on your feet, please contact our office as soon as possible to schedule a consultation.
Athlete’s foot – Athlete’s foot is a skin condition caused by a fungal infection. It can develop between the toes or on the bottom of the foot. Sometimes athlete’s foot causes itching, burning, and even pain, but in other cases, it can look just like dry skin. Either way, it’s still a fungus that needs to be treated so that it doesn’t spread or become more serious!
Plantar warts – Warts are skin lesions that are caused by a virus. When they occur on the bottom of the foot they can be very painful to walk on. They can also increase in size, multiply, or spread to other areas. If you have a lesion on the bottom of your foot that feels like you may have stepped on something, it could be a wart! There are several treatment options that you can discuss with the doctor.
Corns and calluses – Corns and calluses on the feet are usually caused by pressure from shoes or the ground at specific areas, such as the joints of the toes or the ball of the foot. They are likely an indication that there is a problem with the bone underneath the skin in that area. The skin begins to get hard to provide protection, but it continues to get more complicated than necessary and eventually can be very painful. Corns and calluses should be evaluated to determine the cause. The doctor can usually provide treatment that offers relief from the pain fairly quickly.
Other skin conditions of the feet – Anything that causes itching, burning, pain, cracking, blistering, or drainage on the feet should not be ignored. As we talked about earlier there is a multitude of things that can go wrong with the skin on your feet. Fortunately, our doctors can usually provide you with the best solution to eradicate the problem.
