Myth: Warts are for Witches

Warts come with a stigma of being unclean and nasty. People tend relate warts to an ugly witch with a big wart on her nose, while warts are contagious they are a natural reaction caused by our body, and not always a sign of bad hygiene.

A wart is caused by a viral infection (HPV) which invades the skin through small or invisible cuts and abrasions; which is why you see warts more commonly on children and youth. The virus causes the top layer of skin to grow rapidly, creating the wart.

Foot warts are generally raised and fleshy and can appear anywhere on the foot or toes. Occasionally, warts can spontaneously disappear after a short time, and then, just as frequently, they recur in the same location. It is important to note that warts can be very resistant to treatment and have a tendency to reoccur. Over-the-counter foot wart treatments are usually ineffective because their use can inadvertently destroy surrounding healthy tissue.

 Please contact our office for help in effectively treating warts. Our practice is expert in recommending the best treatment for each patient, ranging from prescription ointments or medications to, in the most severe cases, laser cautery.

Diabetes And Your Podiatrist

If you're diabetic you have a lot on your plate. Monitoring your insulin, watching your diet, finding time for exercise and regular check ups with your physician. We know it can be hard to stay on top of your health, but the importance of adding regular visits (every 3-4 months) to your trusted podiatrist can make a world of difference.

Diabetics are more prone to various foot problems than those without diabetes due to the development of painful nerve damage called peripheral neuropathy. This damage to your nerves can cause the loss of feeling in your feet, making it difficult to detect extreme temperatures and pain as easily, or readily, as someone who does not have diabetes. As a result, you could sustain a serious cut or wound and not even notice your foot is injured until an infection begins.

A podiatrist can provide a more thorough exam and detect any signs of changes, such as broken skin or ulcers that can be detrimental to the health of your feet and body. Your podiatrist can also check for areas of high pressure or loss of blood circulation.

Give us a call today to start taking charge of your health: 843-654-8250.

May is Melanoma Awareness Month!

Have you ever suffered a severe sunburn? How about on your feet? Since May 1^st kicks off Melanoma Awareness month we thought it only fitting to discuss the affects of Sunburn, on your feet of course.

Many of us spend days outside in the warmer months, lathering sunscreen on our faces, shoulders, chests and other sensitive and exposed areas, but what about your feet? We have seen many instances where patients forget to cover their feet with sunscreen and end up severely burned.

Though it may not seem so, your feet are covered in delicate skin. When exposed to intense UV rays your feet can go from fine to fried in a matter of minuets. Opposed to only embarrassing redness, severe burns on your feet can easily cause blisters and swelling (not to mention long-term damage and risk of skin cancer).

If burned take an anti inflammatory regularly, use an aloe vera product containing at least 90% aloe (or use your own aloe plant), and elevate your burnt foot or feet.

Prevent future incidents by wearing shoes, opposed to sandals, when exposed to prolonged sun, and always include your feet in your sunscreen application (hands too!).

*When choosing sunscreen look for broad spectrum products with a SPF of 15 or higher, and remember to reapply!

Bridge Run Tip: Don't wait to get New Shoes

With the Cooper River Bridge Run only a month away, please don't wait until only a couple days before to replace your running or walking shoes...even if you plan on replacing them with the same exact pair, give it a couple of weeks to break them in properly. Just because they look the same doesn't mean they will feel the same and you may end up with blisters and more.

We are looking forward to the run and hope to see you there!

What's recommended for me?

Often, people will ask us for recommendations for products. From shoes to wound care, they want to know what we think, as podiatrists, is best for their feet. Thankfully, due to technology there are many products nowadays that are taking our feet into consideration. But you must remember each person is different and so are our feet, but it's always good to look for The APMA Seal of Acceptance and Seal of Approval.

The Seal of Acceptance is awarded to shoes, socks, insoles, materials, electronic health records/practice management software, and equipment. The Seal of Approval is awarded to therapeutic products such as lotions, deodorizers, wound care treatments, regulated medical devices, and medicines. Products awarded the Seal of Approval may be available over the counter or by prescription only. For more, visit HERE. 

If you're struggling to know what's right for you, we're happy to sit down with you for a consult. Call us or visits us at www.carolinafootspecialists.net

Charleston Office
843-225-5575
Mount Pleasant Office
843-654-8250

Run that Extra Stuffing off with the Right Shoe

Heading out to exercise off that extra stuffing you might gain after Thanksgiving. Make sure your walking or running shoes are in good shape. Dr. Adam Brown is an avid runner and always has tips. Here's what to look for.

Athletic shoes need to be replaced after one year, whether or not they are worn, and after a certain amount of repetitive load is placed on them and wears them down.

The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine advises replacing running or walking shoes after 300 to 500 miles of wear, and replacing aerobic, basketball, and tennis shoes after 45 to 60 hours of wear.

Athletic shoes should also be replaced if they show signs of unevenness when placed on a flat surface, display noticeable creasing, and/or when the heel counter breaks down.

Dr. Adam Brown, Podiatrist, Carolina Foot Specialists 

What's that smell? Getting to the bottom of stinky feet

Did you know...The feet and hands contain more sweat glands than any other part of the body, with roughly 3,000 glands per square inch.

Smelly feet are not only embarrassing, but can be physically uncomfortable as well. But it's not something we at Carolina Foot Specialists can't treat.

Feet smell for two reasons: 1) shoe wear, and 2) sweating of the feet. The interaction between the perspiration and the bacteria that thrive in shoes and socks generates the odor. Therefore, any attempt to reduce foot odor has to address both sweating and footwear.

Smelly feet or excessive sweating can also be caused by an inherited condition, called hyperhidrosis, which primarily affects men. Stress, some medications, fluid intake, and hormonal changes also can increase the amount of perspiration our bodies produce.

Call Dr. Adam Brown today if you've tried everything for your stinky feet, he can help. 843-225-5575

What are your shoes saying?

What are you shoes saying about you?

Sometimes it's that they've overstayed their welcome and it's time for a new pair. The wear patterns of your shoes explain it all.

Look for these signs:
A bulge and wear to the side of the big toe means too-narrow fit or you have a bunion.

Outer sole wear means you turn your foot out. Orthotics may help.

Toe-shaped ridges on the upper means your shoes are too small or you have hammertoes.

Wear on the ball of the foot means your heel tendons may be too tight.

Wear on the inner sole means you pronate or turn your foot inward. Inner liners or orthotics may help.

Wear on the upper, above the toes means the front of your shoe is too low.

For more helpful tips, check out www.carolinafootspecialists.net 

Ingrown toenails in children

Ingrown toenails occur when the toenail starts to curve into the skin along the side of the nail.  There a number of reasons that ingrown toenails can develop. Just like you inherit genes for eyes and hair color you can also inherit that way your toenails grow. The way your toenail is shaped can cause you to be more prone to developing ingrown nails. 

 Playing sports and wearing a tighter toe box shoe can also cause ingrown nails from the constant pressing of the skin into the nail.  If you notice your child complaining of pain around their toenail, look for signs of an ingrown nail such as swelling and  redness around the skin surrounding the nail.  

Initially home treatment such as soaking in Epsom salts and applying antibiotic ointment can help to soften the skin surrounding the nail.  Using a band-aide can help to protect and alleviate pressure in shoes which could increase the severity of pain.  If the puffiness or redness in the skin persists, then you should call and make an appointment. Attempting to remove the ingrown nail at home bathroom surgery) is risky and could potentially cause an infection. 

Feel free to contact us at our West Ashley or Mt. Pleasant offices for same day/week appointments. Carolinafootspecialists.net

Charleston Office
843-225-5575
Mount Pleasant Office
843-654-8250

Hammertime! What is Hammertoe?

Hammertoe is a deformity of the second, third, or fourth toes. In this condition, the toe is bent at the middle joint, causing it to resemble a hammer. Left untreated, hammertoes can become inflexible and painful, requiring surgery.

Hammertoe surgery can be done on an outpatient basis in the doctor's office or a surgery center using a local anesthetic, sometimes combined with sedation. The surgery takes about 15 minutes to perform. Up to four small incisions are made and the tendons are rebalanced around the toe so that it no longer curls. Patients usually can walk immediately after the surgery wearing a special surgical shoe. Minimal or no pain medication is needed following the surgery.

Icing and elevation of the foot is recommended during the first week following the procedure to prevent excessive swelling and promote healing. It is also important that the dressing be kept clean and dry to prevent infection. Two weeks after the surgery, the sutures are removed and a wide athletic shoe can replace the post-operative surgical shoe. Patients can then gradually increase their walking and other physical activities.

Call our office today: 

Charleston Office

843-225-5575

Mount Pleasant Office

843-654-8250

Ingrown Toenails: What to do and what NOT to do

One of the most common foot conditions that we see in our Charleston and Mount Pleasant practice in adults and children are ingrown toenails. An ingrown toenail most commonly affects the big toe, known anatomically as the Hallux. When an ingrown toenail occurs, the nail grows abnormally into the skin and flesh of the toe. This leads to pain and the overgrowth of skin tissue at the side of the nail.

Sometimes the edge of the toenail pierces the skin outside of the nail groove, beginning to act as a foreign body. Sometimes a nail is ingrown not only at the corner of the nail plate, but all the way down. The first signs of either condition are pain and swelling. The area of penetration may bleed or become infected, producing pus.


Causes of an Ingrown Toenail?

The condition is caused by any of several factors. The most common of which is probably improper nail trimming, cutting the nail too much, so that when it begins to grow back it grows out of the “nail groove” directly into the flesh of the toe.

In addition, some people are hereditarily predisposed to developing the condition.


Symptoms of an Ingrown Toenail?

Severe pain, infection, swelling, sometimes pus, are major symptoms of the condition. It is normally obvious with a visual inspection, which will show that the nail is in fact growing into the skin and flesh of the toe, and that an infection is present.

Treatment for Ingrown Toenail?

If you have an ingrown toenail, it is best to see your foot specialists for advice. Any toenail that is bleeding, excreting pus, or swollen should be examined by a doctor. Many people with ingrown toenails delay treatment, or make matters worse by resorting to home remedies that may be more painful than medical attention.

Painless Surgery for an Ingrown Toenail?

If the condition has resulted in permanent overgrowth of the tissue surrounding the nail margin, or in recurring infection, surgery may be required to treat the condition. Surgical treatment varies slightly depending on the particulars of each individual case.

In mild cases, removal of a portion of the tissue at the side of the nail groove may reduce pressure and irritation. In this procedure a wedge of tissue is removed and the healing process allows the groove to reform itself.
Sometimes surgery involves use of a local anesthetic and removal of a portion of the toenail and its root. Patients with recurrent ingrown nails may require the use of a medication known as liquid phenol, which permanently removes lateral portions of the nail matrix

In our practice we use a  topical anesthestic before the injection called Ethly Chloride which freezes the skin to make patient's more comfortable.

Surgery for ingrown toenail is painless and easy to perform in the office setting. Patients should be able to put weight on their feet immediately after surgery but walking is uncomfortable. In most cases, toenails grow normally after surgery without imbedding themselves into the skin.

It is important to carefully follow instructions before and after any surgical procedure in order to have the best results and quicker recovery time. Changing the style of footwear you use is very important such as wearing a wider toe box shoe.

Our practice is proud to introduce a convenient post surgical kit for ingrown toenail surgery after care. The Amerigel Post-Op surgical kit is offered to every patient who has undergone a permanent nail matrixectomy. This wound healing kit allows for quicker healing times, eliminates the need for soaking after nail procedures, and aids in compliance by our patients.

The Amerigel Post-Op Surgical Kit has allowed our patients to obtain an effective wound healing product with all the dressings right at the time of service.