Foot Fungus

Also known as onychomycosis, foot fungus is specifically a fungal infection of the toenails. It causes toenails to become brittle and distorted, thicken, turn yellow, and emanate a foul smell. Foot fungus has the ability to cause a whole host of other problems, including uncomfortable mobility. We at Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates in Lorain, OH, have the expertise to help you or someone you know with various foot problems. Your Lorain podiatrist is dedicated to getting you on the road to treatment for a more comfortable life!

Foot fungus comes in varying degrees of severity. Sometimes treatment isn’t required if it doesn’t bother you. However, for severe cases, relief can only be achieved by a podiatrist’s treatment. The frustrating thing about foot fungus is that even if treatment is successful, nail fungus often comes back. There are a few risk factors to be aware of, some in your control and some not:

- History of athlete’s foot

- Sweating a lot

- Diabetes causes circulation problems and a weakened immune system

- Minor skin or nail injury, such as psoriasis

- Walking barefoot in public areas, especially at gyms, shower rooms, and swimming pools

- Seniors have reduced blood flow, so more exposure to fungi and slow-growing toenails

In order to prevent foot fungus, we recommend that you wash your feet regularly, choose a medical pedicure over a standard nail salon, wear sweat-absorbing socks and breathable shoes, especially wear footwear in pool areas and locker rooms, and either discard or disinfect old shoes. 

Do you have foot fungus? Stop into our office so we can have a look and get you started on a treatment plan! Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates is located on 1740 Cooper Foster Park Rd #B in Lorain, OH 44053. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit integrityfootandankle.com or call 440-282-1221.

Plantar Fibromas

Do you suffer from soreness in the bottom of your foot? If so, it’s worth getting checked out. You may have heard of plantar fasciitis, the inflammation of connective tissue on the bottom of the foot. But there is another, lesser known condition called a plantar fibroma. At Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates in Lorain, we can assist patients suffering from this condition, but it might not get better on its own.

The plantar fascia is the connective tissue stretching from the heel to the beginning of the toes. It is unknown why thick nodules called fibromas sometimes develop in it, although it happens most frequently to middle-aged men. Although not all fibromas cause pain, they are sometimes responsible for soreness a person feels when they have been standing for a long time, and people who notice lumps developing in their feet may reasonably be concerned about them. Fibromas are not cancerous, but they can increase in size, and people with peripheral artery or nerve damage are always better off getting unusual changes in their feet examined.

If a patient is suffering from inflammation, we can inject them with a corticosteroid. We may also fit them for customized orthotics, which should allow them to stand more comfortably, and prescribe stretching exercises that will allow blood to circulate in their feet more freely. Surgical removal of the fibroma may be possible when more conservative interventions are unsuccessful. Recurrences of fibromas are rare, but can happen in people who had more than one fibroma at once.

Doctors David J. Hintz and Michael A. Wenowitz run Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates at 1740 Cooper Foster Park Road #B, Lorain, Ohio, 44053. To schedule an appointment, visit Integrity Foot and Ankle or call 440-282-1221.

Common Toe Deformities

Our feet withstand a lot. They hold up the full weight of our bodies and propel us forward. It’s important that we take care of our feet so that they can last us our lifetimes with little complication. Common toe deformities such as claw toe, hammertoe, and mallet toe can all be prevented if we treat our feet right. We at Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates in Lorain, OH, are dedicated to helping our patients find relief and educating them about how they can prevent future toe deformities. 

 

Claw toe, hammertoe, and mallet toe: it almost sounds like we’re going through a toolbox. But the names do lend to the visual abnormality of these deformities, as well as the discomfort. Most of the time, surgery will be required to completely correct these deformities. The tissue will need to be released and tendons will need to be lengthened. 

 

A closer look at the common toe deformities:

 

- Claw toe: This deformity is caused by one of the tendons in the foot contracting, raising the first bone in the toe and making the second two bones point downward. 

- Hammertoe: A normal toe should form a straight line with the three bones that make up the toe. This deformity raises the first toe bone, the second bone tilts downward, and the third bone becomes flat. Like claw toe, this is also caused by a tendon contracting in the foot.

- Mallet toe: This deformity is also caused by a tendon in the foot contracting. The first two toe bones remain straight, though they are slightly raised. The third bone points downwards.

 

Are you experiencing a toe deformity? Stop into our office so we can have a look and get you started on a treatment plan! Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates is located on 1740 Cooper Foster Park Rd #B in Lorain, OH 44053. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit integrityfootandankle.com or call 440-282-1221.

 

Toenail Trauma

An injury to your toenail is likely to be extremely painful. If this has happened to you, you should seek treatment immediately. But if you’re reading this for general informational purposes, we hope you’ll remember what to do if you ever suffer trauma to a nail. We at Integrity Foot and Ankle Associates in Lorain assist patients with all sorts of podiatric needs, and although toenail trauma is scary, it usually heals well if the proper protocol is followed.

The word “avulsion” is used to describe a nail that is wholly or partially torn off. If you suffer a nail avulsion, you should trim down the jagged edge so that it won’t catch on your sock or any other cloth you wrap it in on your way to treatment. However, you should not remove any other portion of the nail that remains. Even if your doctor has to remove the entire nail in a clinic, it can still provide protection from infectious microbes while you are in transit. Nails can usually regrow as long as the nail bed hasn’t been reshaped by scar tissue resulting from an infection or the injury itself. If the congealed blood underneath your remaining nail bed covers a small enough area, it may be able to be drained through a small puncture. If not, the injury beneath the nail bed may require stitches.

Often during treatment for nail bed trauma, an x-ray is taken of the patient’s foot to determine if their toe bones are fractured. If they are not, the toe would still need to be kept covered while the nail regrows, which could take as long as eighteen months. You will receive instructions from your doctor on caring for your toenail while it recovers, but you will need to avoid pinching it in tight shoes or socks and change the covering regularly. You will have to keep the bandages dry while you bathe, and use all of the antibiotics you are directed to use.

Doctors David J. Hintz and Michael A. Wenowitz run Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates at 1740 Cooper Foster Park Road #B, Lorain, Ohio, 44053. To schedule an appointment, visit Integrity Foot and Ankle or call 440-282-1221.

Tarsal Coalitions

Sometimes, a deformity that is present in a foot at birth won’t start causing problems until a child reaches adolescence. That is often the case with tarsal coalitions, a fairly common variant in foot structures that may contribute to fatigue and balance problems. Recently, we at Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates in Lorain described how to care for flat feet. We thought that this week we would discuss tarsal coalitions, since they are a common cause of fallen arches, and what can be done about them.

The tarsals are the group of bones at the back of the feet. They include the calcaneus, or heel bone, the talus, which connects to the leg bones, and the navicular, which connects to the bones leading to the midfoot. Tarsal coalitions usually form between the calcaneus and either the talus or the navicular, and a person who has one often has them in both feet. They usually form in utero as cartilage connections, but harden into bone when a person is between eight and sixteen years old. Less commonly, older people may develop tarsal coalitions due to arthritis or injuries. Since most people don’t get foot x-rays for no reason, tarsal coalitions often go undetected until they start causing problems after hardening.

Tarsal coalitions are not always painful, but the inflexibility they cause may result in balance problems on uneven surfaces. Consequently, people with tarsal coalitions are at elevated risk for rolling their ankles. They may also get sore from activities more quickly, or adapt unusual gaits. Shoe inserts can help redistribute the body’s weight comfortably, and steroidal injections may be appropriate in some cases for pain relief. But if dysfunction persists, a podiatrist may consider surgically removing the coalition and replacing it with muscle or fat tissue. Alternatively, if other joints have become overused as a result of compensating for the tarsal coalition, a podiatrist may consider fusing them, as well.

Doctors David J. Hintz and Michael A. Wenowitz run Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates at 1740 Cooper Foster Park Road #B, Lorain, Ohio, 44053. To schedule an appointment, visit Integrity Foot and Ankle or call 440-282-1221.

Osteochondral Lesion

A twisted ankle is a relatively common problem, and while it’s not fun, it’s usually treatable without major interventions. However, the patient’s situation may be more serious if there is damage to their cartilage. At Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates in Lorain, our podiatrists take particular interest in sports injuries. As such, they are experienced in treating osteochondral lesions in the foot. This means they can help patients to recover from cartilage breakdown in areas including the talar dome.

The talus is a bone in the ankle that the leg bones rest on top of. The top-side of the talus is covered with a dome of cartilage, which is a rubbery substance that provides cushioning. If a person has a degenerative condition or suffers an ankle injury, the cartilage may rupture, soften, or develop cysts. A breakdown in cartilage may be accompanied by a break in the bone, but not always. Since cartilage helps the joint to move freely, breakage in it could cause the bone to catch or click. The patient may also experience swelling and bouts of pain, particularly when putting the joint under pressure.

The ankle joints don’t always get a great deal of blood supply, and osteochondral lesions in the talus may be slow to heal. If a piece of cartilage breaks off and floats freely in the joint, it will continue to cause inflammation and obstruction. Identifying a talus dome injury is done through a combination of range of motion tests and imaging. The patient may be provided with oral or injected non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication and be given a fitted ankle brace, with instructions on non-weight bearing exercises to do at home. But if the patient continues to experience pain or diminished function, we may determine that surgical removal of the damaged cartilage is necessary. In that case, surgery will usually be done through small holes, using miniature cameras, to allow the patient a faster recovery.

Doctors David J. Hintz and Michael A. Wenowitz run Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates at 1740 Cooper Foster Park Road #B, Lorain, Ohio, 44053. To schedule an appointment, visit Integrity Foot and Ankle or call 440-282-1221.

Dry Skin

You’ve probably never heard of Xerosis, but chances are you’ve come across it before. Xerosis is the medical term for dry skin. At Integrity Foot and Ankle Associates in Lorain, OH, Drs. Michael Wenowitz and David Hintz specialize in treating conditions like severe dry skin or Xerosis. Here’s everything you need to know about this condition. 

Causes

Xerosis is typically caused by a change in the environment. This is why it’s more common to experience Xerosis in the cold winter months, where your skin is increasingly prone to losing water.

 

Other causes include:

-Dehydration

-Overdrying the skin

-Bathing or showering frequently

-Bathing or showering with hot water excessively

-Sun exposure

-Living in areas of low humidity

Symptoms

-Itchy, dry, and even scaly skin

-Flaky skin

-Skin that’s tight, especially after bathing

-Irritated skin or skin with cracks

Risk Factors
Older people are more susceptible to Xerosis than younger people. Aging skin is more prone to dryness because of the less active sweat glands. With higher levels of blood glucose, diabetic patients are also at a higher risk for dry skin and Xerosis.

Treatment

Xerosis is a fairly common ailment, so treatment is simple as well. If you’re experiencing severe dryness, your Lorain, OH podiatrists recommend using a moisture-rich lotion to apply to the area. However, if you’re Xerosis persists for more than two weeks, it may be a viral infection. Contact Integrity Foot and Ankle Associates right away for an appointment.

Doctors David J. Hintz and Michael A. Wenowitz run Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates at 1740 Cooper Foster Park Road #B, Lorain, Ohio, 44053. To schedule an appointment or to learn more about Xerosis, visit Integrity Foot and Ankle or call 440-282-1221.