Don’t Be Frightened of Scary Sounding Foot Conditions

With Halloween coming up it’s the time of year for horrifying haunted houses and frightening costumes but at Pasco-Hernando Foot & Ankle we know something else that can by terrifying to patients: scary sounding foot diagnoses. In many instances, the official name of a foot condition can conjure up some hair-raising fears but most of the time, it’s not as bad as it sounds!

Tenia Pedis—this term refers to a well-known fungal infection: athlete’s foot. Easily spread at the gym, nail salon, pool or anywhere people go bare foot, athlete’s foot is usually recognized by insanely itchy skin that is red, dry and flaky. To avoid this condition, always keep your feet covered in public places and don’t share shoes, socks, towels, nail clippers or any items that touches another person’s foot. If you get athlete’s foot be sure to wash your hands frequently because you can even spread it to other places on your own body.

Brachymetatarsia—if you have this podiatric disorder it means that one of your toes is shorter than your other toes. It most often affects the fourth toe on your foot and it is common to have it on both feet. In some cases, this will cause no discomfort. It can, however, affect your balance or cause pain due to the uneven way the toe hits the ground when you walk. If this your situation, our podiatrist, Dr. Lawrence J. Kales, will examine your toes and feet and explain the best treatment options for you.

 Xerosis—an intensive course of a rich moisturizer should be able to make this ailment disappear—it simply means a case of extremely dry skin. You can also help prevent this problem by not taking overly hot showers and staying well-hydrated.

The one time that foot problems can turn into something to be afraid of is when patients put off getting them evaluated. Then it’s possible that a condition will get out of control and progress to a point where the discomfort is greater than it needs to be. Don’t wait, contact our Spring Hill (352 683-5799) or Hudson (727-868-2128) office in the nature coast area of Florida today.