Common Foot Problems in Primary Care
Often, people try to diagnose foot problems themselves. However, although there are over-the-counter remedies for many of the common ailments, a proper diagnosis from a primary care physician or podiatrist may be essential to providing the appropriate treatment for your ailment. Most common foot problems can be diagnosed and treated by a primary care physician and a podiatrist expertise is typically only necessary for specialized issues in the foot that a primary care physician may not have experience dealing with, such as foot surgeries.
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Ingrown Nails
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According to Cleveland Clinic, ingrown toenails are the most common problems that occur in the foot, as diagnosed by primary care physicians. Ingrown toenails occur when the edge of the nail grows back into the tissue of the grooves of the nail. Ingrown toenails may cause pressure, pain, swelling, redness and infection.
The causes of ingrown toenails include trauma to the feet, (which can be caused by normal daily activity including walking) crowding of toes in shoes, heredity and overgrown toenails that are improperly trimmed.
Ingrown toenails can be soaked in warm water and bandaged to relieve pain. Antiseptic creams may also help in their treatment. For severe ingrown toenails, or in the case of infection, your doctor may perform surgery to remove a portion of the nail and the growth plate.
Mycotic nails
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Mycotic nails refer to toenails that have a fungal infection. Mycotic ails may appear discolored, brittle or thick. The nails may sometimes crumble or separate from the base of the nail. Once a nail is infected with a fungus, it is best to see a primary care provider or a podiatrist. The doctor can recommend an over-the-counter treatment, but generally over-the-counter creams or ointments are effective only for a small number of fungal infections. Oral treatments are generally more successful, although in severe cases surgery may have to be performed to remove the nail and apply an anti-fungal directly to the infection.
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Corns
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Corns occur when hard skin (callus tissue) builds up in between toes or near the toe bone. Corns are caused by improperly fitting shoes or shoes that cause pressure and friction between the toes. You can treat corns by soaking the feet and then removing the callus tissue with a pumice stone; however in extreme cases or with persistent corns, doctors may prescribe medications or perform surgery to change the position of the toe bones or remove a bone to reduce friction between the toes.
Calluses
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A callus is a buildup of hard skin. Calluses appear most often on the bottom of the foot or between weight bearing bones of the foot. They are caused by an improper distribution of weight to a particular area of the foot, or by poorly fitting shoes. Initially, calluses are treated in a similar manner to corns--by removing the tissue with a pumice stone after soaking. Again, if treatments fail, your primary care doctor or podiatrist may perform surgery to remove or reposition bones.
Plantar warts
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Plantar warts have a similar appearance to calluses, but they might have a tiny black spot in the center or small holes approximately the size of a pin. Plantar warts are caused by a viral infection and may be painful. They may develop in groups or alone. Typically a doctor must determine whether a patch of hard skin is a wart or a callous. Doctors can treat the warts by applying medication to relieve the pain, and/or freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen.
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