Tag Archives: foot

Health and Fitness

How to treat pitted keratolysis on the foot?

Pitted keratolysis is a fairly prevalent superficial infection in the skin of the feet which can be described as many pits or holes about the sole of the foot and sometimes about the toes. The infection is actually brought on by a microorganisms in the Corynebacterium variety. Pitted Keratolysis is more prevalent wherever damp footwear or boots are generally used for extended durations, such as work books or military shoes or boots and too much perspiration is permitted to accumulate. The accumulation of the sweating will be the surroundings that the microorganisms may develop in and it is frequently accompanied with smelly feet at the same time. The tiny craters which develop as a result of the higher levels of moisture as well as the infection resemble small holes in the feet, generally on the sole as well as the skin tends to have a white discolouration. The holes are usually from 1 to 5 mm in diameter and are generally circular and also shallow. Usually both feet will be affected. These holes or pits observed in pitted keratolysis come from bacteria that emits enzymes which in turn result in the breakdown of the keratin proteins inside the outermost layer of the impacted skin. The breakdown of the epidermis releases sulphur chemical substances that cause the foot smell. As these bacteria prosper in the dark, hot and also damp surroundings inside the footwear, this concern will continue until eventually that's addressed. Pitted keratolysis can have comparable traits as athlete's foot and hyperhidrosis, so doctors can do some checks and make some observations to tell apart which could well be the specific reason behind the condition.

The approach to treating pitted keratolysis would be to manage the infection and deal with the risk elements that caused this to begin with. The infection is better helped by a topical antibiotic that you can usually get at the pharmacy or perhaps on prescription from a physician, depending on how powerful the drugs really should be and how extreme the pitted keratolysis can be. Oral antibiotics are usually not advised. This antibiotic frequently are helpful but really don't function too well unless the foot hygiene is attended to and this inhospitable hot and moist habitat that the bacteria prefers is resolved. Your feet will need to be washed at the very least every day by using water and soap and then dried out meticulously afterwards, particularly between the toes. Using alcohol wipes may also help dry your feet right after bathing. After doing so, it is better to stay barefoot as long as practical for a complete airing of the foot. Hosiery that absorb dampness which are changed more than once a day can be very useful in the workplace if boots have to be used. Antiperspirants that are available from the chemist can also help to help keep your feet dry. Once the pitted keratolysis has initially settled down, prevention is very important. The feet will still need to be washed meticulously and antiperspirants will still have to be used. Sweat soaking up shoe inserts could be used inside the shoes or boots. Powders within the socks could also be used to help absorb the unwanted dampness.

Health and Fitness

What is the cause of chilblains on the feet?

Chilblains are uncomfortable lesions that characteristically show up on the toes in colder environments. They are not resulting from what is popularly considered as poor circulation however are because of a inadequate reaction of the blood flow to variations in temperature in wintry climates. Those who are healthy with good blood circulation still get chilblains and the cause of them isn't totally clear. They start out originally as tiny red-colored patches on the toes which might be itchy. The spots later on take on a dark bluish colour as waste materials accumulate in the skin. The easiest method to overcome chilblains would be to not get them by avoiding them. This can be done by continuing to keep the foot warm instead of letting it get cold. If the foot does become cool, then it's extremely important that it's warmed up gradually. A too fast warming up by, as an example, placing the cold foot in front of a heat source is commonly considered as just what leads to a chilblain. When a chilblain occurs, numerous creams can be used to assist the blood circulation and promote the removal of the waste products. It is vital that the chilblain is protected against the footwear pressure with bandages of some kind.

There are actually many unknowns about chilblains that medical research has not yet uncovered. One of these is that there is quite a big group of people who once suffered from chilblains and then one winter they just stopped being a problem and have definitely not occurred again. If you search and ask them what changed the year that they didn't occur, you typically can find out next to nothing. There was no alteration of their health status or diet or anything which might be identified. Obviously, in the event the reason for this might be found then that has the potential to open up an important opportunity for controlling people with active chilblains.

Health and Fitness

What causes bunions on the feet?

Bunions are an enlargement of the big toe joint which might turn out to be painful and it is connected with a deviation of the big toe over towards the lessor toes. There are only a pair of things that cause bunions: an innate risk as well as poor fitting footwear.

There is not very much that you can do regarding the innate or inherited risk because you have this from your father and mother. Should you wish to fault someone, then fault your mother and father. The research has shown that it is possibly a autosomal dominant trait. This doesn't mean that you will definitely get a bunion, it simply implies that you are usually at a greater risk of getting a bunion deformity. This shows within the dysfunction of your foot and the way your foot functions. Biomechanics takes on a huge role in the growth and development of bunions and is a significant factor in how quickly a bunion gets worse. There are some things which podiatry practitioners could do in an attempt to help the biomechanics of the foot that may really make a difference with the long-term consequences.

The additional big aspect will be the choice of shoes and that is something that you can modify to make decisions which can affect the outcomes of bunions. Footwear that is too narrow round the front foot which forces over the big toe and pushes on the big toe joint is definitely the most crucial risk factor for getting a bunion. Combine these tight fitting footwear with the hereditary risk factors and bunions are generally extremely likely to come about at some point. The matter will be how much and how often you use the poor fitting shoes. Even though you may not possess the genetic risk from your parents, the wearing of tight fitted shoes is still a risk, but most likely not just as much as if you're genetically susceptible. Shoes are furthermore responsible for creating the stress across the enlarged bunion that makes the bunion painful. This is certainly thought to be the reason why bunions are definitely more prevalent in women as they usually use higher heel more restrictive fitted dress footwear more often. However, the higher incidence in women may also be because of hormone dissimilarities among men and women and just how those hormones change the ligaments surrounding the joints.

Interestingly, bunions nevertheless happen with individuals who never use footwear, therefore shoes are certainly not the whole issue. Having said that, within these populations the bunions are never that bad and don't become problematic. Wearing footwear means they are even worse, ensures they are progress much more and makes them painful. There is also studies coming from archaeological digs there had been a huge increase in bunions in skeletons from the middle ages times when they started wearing tight fitting footwear.

Bunions might be prevented when you deal with the risk elements early enough. The using of footwear which are broad enough to not result in the force on the big toe is just about the more valuable protective measures. If you have an inherited predisposition, then it's much more essential you do this since you can not replace your genetic mother and father. Knowing the explanation for bunions will be the starting point to stopping them.