Resolve To Pay Attention to Your Feet

It’s a New Year and time for resolutions. Here at Texas Foot Specialists we would like our patients to commit to being more proactive about the health of their feet. One easy way to do this is by conducting regular self-exams on your feet and ankles. Follow these simple steps and in a few minutes, you’ll be able to give your feet a comprehensive once-over in order to detect any developing conditions.

1.       Stand with your feet together and look down. Do your feet look to be the same shape and size? Do you notice any lumps, bumps or swelling? Are your toes all in alignment? Do any appear to be drifting out of place or turning under?

2.       Sit in a chair and place one foot on the opposite leg. Look over the entire foot and ankle—top, bottom and sides. Notice the color of your skin. Do you see any redness, patches of dry, scaly skin, bruises, cuts that don’t appear to be healing or any changes in moles? Also, check your toenails. Make sure none of the edges is growing into the sides of the nail bed and becoming ingrown. Are your nails discolored? Crumbling edges may indicate a fungal nail infection. Examine the other foot in the same way.

3.       While sitting, also test the ability for your feet to perceive sensations. The eraser end of a pencil works well for this. Trace the sides, tops and bottoms of your feet with the eraser. Do you feel the eraser equally on all parts of your feet? Are you experiencing any other unusual sensations in your feet such as burning, tingling or pins and needles?

4.       Lastly, do you have pain or stiffness in any part of your feet, toes or ankles? If so, note whether the pain is constant or intermittent. Is it a sharp pain or a dull ache? Does the pain worsen with activity?

It’s important to report anything out of the ordinary that you find when examining your feet to our podiatrists, Dr. Gregory Mangum and Dr. Bruce Miller. The foot doctor will perform a professional exam on your feet and conduct the necessary tests to diagnose the source of your foot pain. Contact our Pasadena (281) 991-0600, Sugar Land (281) 242-4448 or Houston (713) 664-6677 office for an appointment.

How To Prevent Foot Warts - Parkway Podiatry - The Texas Foot Specialists

Plantar warts are caused by a viral infection. It appears as a small, hard, grainy skin growth. In some cases, a plantar wart can grow more than an inch in diameter. Plantar warts are often mistaken for corns and calluses. Until it develops in size or spread in clusters. Some warts appear with little black dots. This is an indication of blood vessels that have surfaced up into the wart.  

Dr. Bruce Miller and Dr. Gregory Mangum are Podiatrists who specialize in treating plantar warts.

Signs and Symptoms of Plantar Warts

• Small, hard, thick skin growth with little black dots indicating blood vessels surfacing up to the wart.
• Smooth skin surfaces often gray or brown in color
• Pain in thick areas on the soles
• Small, skin growths on the heel and ball of the foot
• Plantar warts can also form clusters (mosaic warts)

Preventing Plantar Warts

• Plantar warts are caused by a virus and enters the feet through cuts, wounds or blisters. It can be acquired through direct contact with the virus or wet surfaces containing infected skin.
• Check your feet regularly for any unusual skin changes such as discolored skin surfaces or abnormal skin growth
• The skin provides a strong physical barrier against germs and viruses. Treat wounds, cuts and blisters immediately to prevent the entry of viruses
• Wear slippers and sandals in wet public surfaces. Public showers and lockers have wet surfaces where are commonly found
• Wash hands regularly and never share items such as shoes or socks. Infection can be spread through direct contact with an infected person’s feet or skin.

Treating Plantar Warts

1. Acid – over the counter treatments for plantar warts are available. This includes the use of acids which has been proven to be one of the simplest and most effective options for plantar wart treatment. Treatment can take anywhere up to a few weeks.
2. Laser Treatment – intense heat from a laser emitting device is used to destroy the wart. It can be performed in the doctor’s clinic and can be performed in under an hour.
3. Curettage and desiccation – the area is first injected with anesthesia. The doctor then surgically removes the plantar wart which can also cause scarring.

The Texas Foot Specialists located in Sugar Land, Pasadena and Houston, we specialize in helping people with foot disorders. To schedule an appointment call Sugar Land (281) 242-4448, Pasadena (281) 991-0600 and Houston (713) 664-6677.

Plantar Warts: Treatment and Prevention - Texas Foot Specialists

Many skin conditions may appear similar to the untrained eye. Plantar warts for example may be mistaken for simple corns and calluses. But plantar warts are more than thick skin growths. It is caused by a viral infection which has gained entry through breaks in the skin such as wounds, cuts or blisters.

Identifying a Plantar Wart

Plantar warts are commonly found in the heels or balls of the feet. They have clearly defined borders compared to calluses which merely appear as thick skin areas on the feet. One clear indicator of a plantar wart are  pin point black spots. Plantar warts are also commonly appear grayish. Plantar warts can be single or appear in clusters.  In some cases they can even grow to more than an inch in diameter.

Dr. Gregory Mangum and Dr. Bruce Miller are podiatrists who specialize in treating plantar warts.

Prevention:

•  Regularly check your feet for any skin changes (discoloration, unusual growths)
• Protect your feet from direct contact with wet floor surfaces in public areas such as common baths by wearing sandals or slippers
• Immediately treat wounds, cuts or blisters to prevent infection
• Plantar warts can be spread through direct contact with infected skin. Prevent infection or its spread by washing your hands regularly and avoid sharing personal items such as shoes or socks.

Treatment:

A podiatrist may recommend a variety of treatment options for plantar warts. .

Curettage and desiccation – a local anesthetic is used to desensitize the area before treatment. A doctor then surgically removes the plantar wart and closes the wound.

Laser treatment – this utilizes laser technology to destroy the wart. This is considered an out-patient procedure and can be performed in the doctor’s clinic.

Acid – the simplest and most effective method for treating plantar warts. It is applied directly over the plantar wart.  Treatment can take a few weeks.

Plantar warts are commonly seen in children. These are usually asymptomatic and does not cause any pain or discomfort. But the real danger is when skin cancer or melanoma is mistaken for a plantar wart. So, be sure to have any suspicious growths or changes in the skin examined by your podiatrist.

The Texas Foot Specialists located in Sugar Land, Pasadena and Houston we specialize in helping people with plantar warts.  To schedule an appointment call Sugar Land (281) 242-4448, Pasadena (281) 991-0600 and Houston (713) 664-6677.