Skin and Nail Conditions
Ingrown Toenails: Is an inflammation or an infection of the skin surrounding the nail as a result of part of the nail growing into the skin.
This can occur from inappropriate cutting technique, trauma or purely from shape. In some cases removal of a ‘spike’ may be required to provide immediate relief.
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Your Podiatrist can assess and clear the edges of the nail, provide advice on cutting and is able to carry out a permanent nail surgery if nail shape is the cause.
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Fungal Toenails: Also known as onychomycosis, it normally involves nail trauma leading to fungal spores entering the nail growth cells. This leads to a thickened and discoloured nail plate growing. As the infection progresses the nail can become brittle/ odourous and if it becomes too thick tissue under the nail can become painful from compression.
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Assessment and diagnoses from a Podiatrist will allow a specific management plan to be implemented. Your Podiatrist will be able to reduce thickness during the consult.
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Thickened Toenails: There are several reasons why nails become thickened with two of the main ones being trauma or fungus. Thickened nails can become painful and compression may cause blistering underneath the nail.
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Your Podiatrist is able to reduce this thickness and assist with diagnoses of any fungal infection that may be present.
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Tinea/Athletes foot: Is a fungal infection of the skin on the feet. It can occur on any area of the feet but is most common in between the toes. If left untreated it can cause splits, blistering, itchiness and general pain. It can also spread to infect the nails.
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Your Podiatrist will assess and provide a management program to clear the fungus and provide education to prevent future presentation.
Callous: This can develop from any form of rubbing, high pressure load (from footwear or toe/foot deformity) and is not reduced frequently can blister or bruise underneath.
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Routine removal by your podiatrist as well as education and prevention of pressure will assist with comfort.
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Corns: Corns develop from a direct increase of pressure in a particular point on the toe or foot. It can be worsened by joint or bone deformity, pressure from footwear or uneven pressure load when walking.
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Diagnoses is generally easily made by a Podiatrist and treatment involves removal as well as implementing strategies to reduce the pressure on the area.
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Cracked Heels or Skin: Once again this is an accumulation of callous which eventually with a sheering motion of the foot caused the skin to split and commonly develop into an open crack.
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Treatment involves reduction of the excess callous and precise removal of the split. Education will be provided by you Podiatrist on how to prevent further development and various offloading strategies will be considered.
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Plantar warts/Verrucae: They are generally harmless and can disappear over a long period of time on their own accord. In some cases however they can be painful especially if they develop on a load bearing area of the foot.
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Plantar warts are generally a white-pink colour with black dots in the centre.
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If they are causing pain it is important that you visit your Podiatrist to implement removal treatments. We utilise an effective range of treatments and can offload the plantar wart during this process to reduce symptoms.
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Please make an appointment with our podiatrist if you suffer from any of the above conditions.