Many people treat their feet because they are ashamed of the way they look or smell. The problem is that some treatments, such as nail removal, can do more harm than good and cause pain for the patient for years to come. So how to treat diseases of the feet and take care of this part of the body to prevent painful ailments? These questions are answered by Heike Zech, a podiatrist who runs a podiatry office in Berlin.
- Patients report to the podiatrist with various ailments, incl. unpleasant smell of feet, calluses, corns and calluses, but also painful lesions: warts, mycosis or ingrown toenails
- Some of these problems are caused by improper footwear selection: buying shoes that do not fit the shape of the foot and are made of artificial, non-breathable materials
- The expert deals with myths regarding the treatment of foot diseases. One of them is the removal of the nail attacked by the fungus, which is very often done by the doctors themselves: – You should never, really never remove the nail. Its shape may be completely different than originally. (…) The atrophy of the fingertip then occurs, which further decreases – and then a real problem arises – explains the podiatrist
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Author: Clary Ott / Die Welt
Die Welt: You work with your feet every day. Is the foul odor of your patients’ biggest concern?
Heike Zech: Yes, but honestly, most feet don’t smell at all! (laugh) If your foot is freshly washed when you slide it out of the shoe, it smells more like warm leather, so it’s not at all unpleasant.
Provided you are not wearing leatherette shoes or polyester socks and tights which make the skin sweat more.
That’s right, leather footwear is breathable and is therefore always the best choice. Synthetic boots are fine as long as there is ventilation. The foot has to breathe because there are no sebaceous glands in this part of the limbs, but a lot of sweat glands. In addition to the appropriate material, the shoe should be adapted to the shape of the foot. Unfortunately, footwear is designed to fit as many feet as possible and appeal to the tastes of many customers. Most people prefer to conform to the current fashion rather than the shape of their feet.
- See also: Do you wear rubber clogs? The orthopedist warns: these are not good summer shoes
Most of the shapes of shoes are not adapted to our feet. Shoes should be wider at the front, instead most are narrower or pointed – this is the case with both women’s and men’s shoes. Everything else is seen as clunky and less elegant. How does this relate to the health of our feet?
For example, corns can form as a result of wearing mismatched shoes. If there is constant pressure and friction between the ankles and fingers, the skin “activates” the protective mechanism, a so-called callus is formed. As pressure continues, calluses are formed which, due to space constraints, do not grow outward but inward, often several millimeters deep. There, they attack the nervous tissue and often cause great pain.
- Check it out: How are calluses different from corns?
Further part below the video.
People with these conditions usually go to the drugstore or drugstore first to buy corneal plasters. It’s a good idea?
Absolutely not. Patches containing salicylic acid are primarily a bad idea. The skin lesions are often small but deep, so it’s important that the remedy works precisely, otherwise we will etch the surrounding tissue. Not only will we not solve the problem, but we will also cause ourselves additional pain.
- Also read: These nail changes can herald serious illness. Don’t underestimate them
What is the difference between a wart and a corns?
Corns are the effect of pressure and friction, while the wart, also known as the wart, is infected with a virus and is visible to the naked eye. It can appear when our immunity is declining or we experience a lot of stress. It is also treated with salicylic acid, but there is no risk that we will hurt ourselves, because it is much easier to hit the affected place.
What happens when I cut the wart with scissors?
Never do that! As I said, this is a change caused by a virus that is spreading to the surrounding skin, so there is a risk of more warts developing. If I’m not sure if a patient has a wart or a print on their feet, I always take care. I disinfect the scalpel or replace the blades to prevent possible spread of the virus deep into the foot.
In your office, you also remove callous epidermis. Many people feel that this is not necessary. Why are they wrong?
We need hard leather as it protects the foot. It is only when callus is formed, i.e. when the skin on the feet dries and cracks, that it becomes an obstacle and should be removed. However, if we remove too much keratinized epidermis, which often happens when we perform such a procedure on our own or sometimes in a beauty salon, this protective pad falls off. The skin underneath is extremely stressed because our feet bear the entire weight of our body. All of this can lead to cracks, especially on the heels. Conversely, if there are too many calluses, cracks appear because the skin is too dry and can crack.
- Do you have dry, cracked heels? The body is trying to tell you something important
We want to get rid of callous epidermis, especially in summer. We use various methods: exfoliating socks worn at night, graters, files, pumice stone, callous cutters. Some of them may be dangerous for us, it is easy to get hurt by them.
Yes, especially chippers should be banned. The razor blade cuts the skin, and this can lead to very painful inflammation. A pumice stone or nail file is much better. You can use them dry, even every day. As a result, the skin is nice and elastic. You just have to remember to moisturize it.
- Do exfoliating socks work?
Some people use a body lotion for this.
Hand creams or body lotions are not suitable as they cannot penetrate the hard skin of the feet. Diluted cream evaporates too quickly. It must be a greasy foot cream, for example with urea. Proper foot care can reduce the risk of callus formation. The condition is the use of appropriate measures, preferably those intended for foot care.
Let’s move on to another problem: fungal diseases of the nails or feet.
It’s basically the same pathogen that usually spreads from the skin to the nail. The nail plate is severely damaged and the nail thickens as the fungus feeds on its keratin cells. In doing so, it leaves behind the decomposition products that it has eaten. They remain under the nail plates, and although the top layer regenerates, the fungus cannot be gotten rid of.
Even covering it with nail polish?
You definitely shouldn’t do this! The disease should be treated as early as possible. For this you need to pay attention if the nails have no discoloration. You should go directly to a dermatologist and see if it is a fungal disease.
- Where is it easiest to catch mycosis? Experts indicate eight places
Why the nail attacked by the fungus should not be removed? After all, it will grow back.
I don’t know why this misconception is so widespread, even among doctors. I just sit there and shake my head when I hear them undertaking it. Removing the nail is not the solution at all! A fingernail should never, really never be removed. Its shape may be completely different than originally.
What exactly happens after such surgery?
The fingertip is atrophied and then diminished further – and that’s when the real problem arises. The new nail grows but no longer fits the bed, so it may become ingrown. So when a doctor removes a patient’s toenail, for whatever reason, a new problem may arise – the patient falls into a cycle of pain.
Are there any other causes of ingrown toenails?
Yes, ingrowth can also be caused by improper nail clipping. The nails should be cut straight like a spade. Removing the tips of the nail can lead to inflammation and, in extreme cases, to ingrown nail. Many people suffer from it for many years. When they go to the doctor with this problem, he usually orders a procedure, which, however, often only exacerbates the problem.
However, many people are ashamed to admit that they have cut their toenails incorrectly and are now struggling with inflammation caused by a painful ingrown toenail. How to help them?
For years, there has been a very effective treatment of ingrown toenails with the use of a correction splint. There are different variants, for example with a wire clip, which I mainly use myself. Two small hooks are attached to the corresponding nail and connected with a loop. This causes a slight stress, which noticeably reduces the side pressure of the nail in the nail fold. The patient immediately feels an improvement in well-being.
Unfortunately, this therapy is no longer covered by health insurance. The court ruled that such treatment (in Germany – editor’s note) can only be provided by doctors. The problem is that we do not have a doctor who offers such treatment. It is a political harm, the consequences of which are, as always, borne by the patients.
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We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we devote it to the problems of the perineum – body part like any other. And although it concerns all of us, it is still a taboo subject that we are often ashamed to talk about. What do hormonal changes and natural births change? How not to harm the pelvic floor muscles and how to care for them? How do we talk about perineal problems with our daughters? About this and many other aspects of the problem in a new episode of the podcast.
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