Articles Tagged with: Podiatrist
Jan
28

Preventative Foot Care for Diabetes

Preventative Foot Care for DiabetesPreventing the many risks and problems that can accompany diabetes requires vigilance, planning, and proactive measures. This is especially true when it comes to your feet. Folks living with diabetes are at particular risk for serious foot ailments that can lead to painful foot ulcers or amputation if they are not recognized and treated at an early stage.

Fortunately, people with diabetes can take some simple, easy, and common-sense steps to significantly reduce the likelihood of foot ailments associated with diabetes.

The first step in diabetic preventative foot care is awareness. You need to understand not only the seriousness of letting problems go unchecked but also the reasons that such issues are allowed to progress to the point of no return. The most significant factor that contributes to the problem is the reduction in sensation and feeling that often affects the extremities of people with diabetes. Read More

Sep
04

When Should I See a Podiatrist?

Nobody wants to go to the doctor if they don’t need to. That includes visiting a podiatrist, as wonderful as he or she may be. Indeed, many minor foot problems either resolve themselves or can be addressed with home remedies or over-the-counter medication. But not all foot or ankle problems are minor, and not every issue can be dealt with safely or effectively on your own. Sometimes, an appointment with a skilled and experienced podiatrist is the only way to fix what ails your feet or ankles.

Making an appointment with a podiatrist does not mean you are making an appointment for foot surgery or that you necessarily have a serious problem. It simply means you are seeking the help of a highly-trained professional who can evaluate your situation and recommend the most effective treatment options.
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Aug
23

How Does a Podiatrist Treat an Ingrown Toenail?

An ingrown toenail is one of the most common – and painful – foot ailments we see at JAWS Podiatry. While ingrown toenails often heal on their own, many cases require treatment by an experienced podiatrist to fully address the problem.

The Nature of the Problem

When a toenail digs into your skin it becomes ingrown and can cause a tremendous amount of pain. Shoe pressure, fungal infections, and clipping your toenails improperly can all lead to ingrown toenails. You can temporarily relieve discomfort by soaking your foot in a solution of lukewarm water and salt. However, that won’t take care of the underlying condition. If left untreated, a persistent ingrown toenail can have serious health consequences, including infections that can migrate to the tissue and bone near the nail.

At JAWS Podiatry, our experienced podiatrists have several options for treating ingrown toenails. Which one will be recommended for you depends on the nature and seriousness of the condition, and whether it is an isolated issue or one that arises repeatedly.

The three main ways we treat an ingrown toenail are:

  • Lifting the nail. For nails which are only slightly ingrown, we can gently lift the ingrowing nail edge to separate it from the underlying skin, thus relieving the pain. We then place cotton, dental floss, or a splint under the nail to keep it away from the skin so that it can grow above the skin edge.
  • Partially removal of the nail. If your ingrown toenail has progressed to the point of having redness, pain, and pus, we may choose to remove the ingrown part of the nail. This procedure may involve the use of a local anesthetic to numb your toe as the nail is removed.
  • Full removal of the nail and tissue. For most people, having an ingrown toenail is an isolated incident and one that can largely be prevented with proper foot care. For some people, however, an ingrown toenail on the same toe can be a repeating, chronic problem. In such cases, we may recommend not only removing the nail but the underlying tissue as well using a chemical or fine laser.

After any of the foregoing procedures, you will need to take care of the effected toe to prevent infection and encourage healing. This may involve cleaning the wound and soaking in Epsom salts and/or anti-microbial soap every day for a couple of weeks, as well as the application of an antibacterial cream and small bandage. We also recommend wearing open-toe or loose-fitting shoes to keep pressure off the toe while it heals.

Call the Hollywood, Florida Foot and Ankle Specialists at JAWS Podiatry Today

If you are suffering from an ingrown toenail or are having any other problems with your feet or ankles, the experienced and skilled podiatrists at JAWS Podiatry in Hollywood, Florida can help. While our foot and ankle specialists will explore all possible alternatives to see if a non-surgical solution can address your problem, we are prepared when necessary to address your issues with surgery performed with the highest standard of care. Please contact us today at (954) 922-7333 to schedule a consultation.

 

Questions? Contact our office today: (954) 922-7333