Archive for Skin
Plantar Warts – A Viral Blog by Mark E. Sowell, DPM
Posted by: | CommentsToday, we know that you don’t have be a liar, touch a toad, or drink a witch’s evil potion to get a wart. In all probability, you can’t even grow one by touching another person’s wart. Apparently, these lesions are non-contagious but can spread within the involved area of the same individual. In actuality, warts are encapsulated or walled off growths of viral tissue. Plantar warts on the feet are frequently painful with squeezing type pressure. In the vast majority of cases, the growth of a wart is preceded by some sort of skin puncture or would defect that in all probability, allows an entry site for contamination. Whether we all have inactive or potential wart viruses circulating in our bodies or gain the virus through the wound is as of yet unclear.
An interesting and often confusing distinction must be made between certain calluses and plantar warts. Skin lines or striations can be seen passing through callus tissue whereas they will pass around a wart. In addition, plantar warts, upon close examination, will often demonstrate small black dots which when trimmed will bleed. These are tiny blood vessels, which become caught in the growth itself and are absent in regular callus tissue. A final line of distinction in identifying a wart is in its response to pressure. Squeezing a wart will usually produce extreme pain as opposed to similar pain from direct pressure on calluses.
Warts that appear on the hands and fingers are usually more responsive to therapy than are those on the feet. The professional methods of treatment available for plantar warts include just about everything from chemical applications and surgery to Lawrey’s seasoned salt and hypnosis. Some warts respond quickly and some do not, and that my friends, is just plain honesty. I tend to start conservatively and if not successful become more aggressive in the fight. Even though we all know those old wives tales to be ridiculous, perhaps until your appointment with your foot specialist, you should stay away from toads, telling lies, and drinking weird tasting brews.
Athlete's Foot
Posted by: | CommentsProbably one of the most missed diagnosis of the foot I see is Chronic Dermatophytosis, aka Athlete’s Foot. We all seem to recognize the acute form many get in high school where the feet itch excessively and the skin between the toes is wet and has turned white, aka maceration but we often mistake the chronic type of dermatophytosis as dry skin. Patient say, “Doc I keep putting moisturizing cream on my skin but they still look dry”. Well that’s because their problem is a fungus, not dry skin.
You do not have to be a member of a sports team to get athlete’s foot. In fact, believe it or not, you don’t even have to play a sport. The condition itself usually results from an overgrowth of a particular fungus organism. In most cases, the areas between the toes and the arch of the foot are most often involved. Athlete’s foot may appear in different stages, each with its own presentation. For instance, the acute stage may have blisters or have intense itching. In addition, there may be maceration between the toes and occasional drainage. The chronic condition is characterized more by a dry and scaly appearance and rarely itches. My favorite description of chronic dermatophytosis (yes I have a favorite!) is “a moccasin distribution of dry ruptured vesicles”. There is some confusion as to how this skin condition can be transmitted but at the present time, the consensus of opinion is that there is a contagious capacity. In short, you might be able to catch it from the next guy or gal, so watch your barefoot walking! Also, it can come from fungal toenails if you have those.
Occasionally, an athlete’s foot condition will become infected and require more extensive therapy. In actuality, the threat of subsequent infection is probably a prime reason for treating more aggressively the earlier stage of the condition. After all, one might ask, what is really so bad about a little itching between the toes. Well, by itself, probably not a whole lot. But in those cases where that little itching develops into a more involved complication, then we might be facing a more serious problem.
At the first sign of an athlete’s foot condition, I would recommend a short trial period of a medicinal preparation available at the pharmacy in spray or cream varieties. Following several days use, if the condition persists, I would recommend a visit to the foot specialist. One thing is for sure, do not give up your athletic status in the hopes of relinquishing your athlete’s foot!
