If you are trying enjoying the nice spring weather coming up in Metzger Park, Sharon Woods Park or Highbanks Park, you might notice the skin on your feet is a little itchier than usual this time of year if you suffer from eczema.  This disease can be extremely irritating on the feet and elsewhere on the body.  Even Kate Middleton has told stories of being bullied for the rashes of eczema on her skin. 

Atopic dermatitis becomes worse in the spring because spring is also the season when allergies are at their peak.  This skin condition is seen most commonly in children.  Children affected will frequently have other signs of inherited allergies including runny nose and itchy eyes.  Allergens cause a sensation of intense itching but do not cause the actual skin appearance seen in eczema.  The visible rash, small blisters or skin thickening that occurs in eczema is actually caused by the intense itching and scratching as the individual tries to achieve relief.  On the affected child’s foot, it is commonly seen as redness and scales and possibly even fissures, or cracks in the skin from the extended itching.  Darkening of the skin or hyperpigmentation can also be seen after extended periods of itching in the affected area.  The area around the ankle where the top of sneakers may rub and cause friction is a frequent area of involvement.  When cuts or fissures do develop from itching, parents should watch carefully  for any signs of infection of the foot.  If pain, swelling, or pus appear at the affected area, contact your podiatrist as soon as possible so that antibiotics may be prescribed. 

Eczema is treated by both lessening the allergic sensation of the foot being “itchy”and by decreasing the habitual itching that develops as a result of the condition.  Moisturizing creams, topical corticosteroids and medications commonly used for allergies, such as anti-histamines, are used to suppress the sensation of itchiness.  Removing external irritants, such as a high top sneaker that rubs against the irritated ankle would also be utilized to decrease the appearance of rashes.  

Many different skin conditions can affect the foot and ankle.  For this reason it is critical to obtain a correct diagnosis from your podiatrist before beginning treatment of a skin condition.  Dry scaly skin may just be a sign of eczema, or it could be athlete’s foot, in which case applying a moisturizing cream could do more harm than good.  Many skin cancers of the foot can also mimic less sinister skin lesions including athlete’s foot or an eczematous rash.   

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington. If you would like to see apodiatrist in Dublin, Ohio near Tuttle Crossing, call 614-885-3338 for an appointment.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

This past week Logan Steiber of the Ohio State Wrestling team was awarded the Intermat Freshman of the year award.  The exciting wrestling season may have recently come to a close in Ohio high schools and at Ohio State, but for serious wrestlers, offseason training will be starting shortly.  While athletes are supposed to be the epitome of good health, wrestlers can face a variety of foot and other health problems both on and off the mat. 

Wrestlers frequently will often force themselves to extremes to reach their weight class for wrestling.  Those reaching for heavy weight status may, to the detriment of their own health, indulge in unhealthy eating habits.  While the extra weight may provide an advantage in the short term of trying to hold down an opponent, the resulting diabetes later in life may end up knocking the wrestler’s feet out from under them.  These facts were a sad reality this past week for the World Wrestling Entertainment’s retired wrestling legend Kamala when he underwent his third amputation in recent months from complications of diabetes and high blood pressure.  Podiatrists work with their diabetic patients to avoid amputations at all costs, performing them only when it is necessary to save the patient’s life from an infection of the foot travelling further up the leg to the body causing gangrene, or tissue death and septicemia.  By maintaining a low blood sugar, wrestlers with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes can avoid many of the complications seen in the foot that Kamala likely suffered from including neuropathy, and slow wound healing. 

At the other extreme, wrestlers trying to remain a lightweight frequently take up running in the offseason.  Wrestlers who enter into an intense running regimen too quickly after months spent just wrestling can experience common running ailments including shin splints, heel pain, and the development of painful corns and calluses.  By starting off slowly with low mileage, purchasing proper shoe gear and stretching these injuries may be avoidable.  Orthotics may also be helpful in avoiding painful conditions if the individual has underlying biomechanical and structural problems with their feet. 

When they are in season, a study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that collegiate wrestlers have an injury rate second only to spring football.  The ankle is one of the most commonly and most seriously injured parts of the body in wrestling.  During takedowns and sparring, ankle sprains and muscle strains can occur when the foot is planted on the ground and forced to twist in an unnatural way.  Wrestling is also notorious for the occurrence of athlete’s foot or “ring worm”.  This skin condition is not actually due to having worms in the skin, but is caused by infection with a fungus.  When it occurs in the foot this is also known as tinea pedis and can spread to cause fungal toenails if not treated. 

Wrestlers should make good use of the beginning of their offseason to visit their podiatrist and make a complete recovery from any lingering foot and ankle injuries or skin infections.  With good health, they will be quick on their feet when the time comes for their next big match!

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington. If you would like to see a podiatrist in Dublin, Ohio near Tuttle Crossing, call 614-885-3338 for an appointment.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

If you are planning on taking a tropical vacation away from cold Columbus winter this year, there is one item that should be packed in everyone’s suitcase: sunscreen.  While many people are getting better about covering their faces and shoulders, the feet are often a missed spot when it comes to sunscreen application. 

Increased exposure to the sun leads to an increased risk of several types of skin cancer including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and the more deadly melanoma.  As the tops of your feet are often exposed in warmer weather, whether laying poolside or when out walking in flip flops, it is crucial to protect this area by using sunscreen.  It is also extremely important to examine for the development of any new lesions or changes in markings on your feet regularly through self-exams.  At the first sign of a noticeable change in the skin of your foot you should contact your podiatrist to catch any potentially malignant lesions early on.  The prognosis for a melanoma is related to how deep the tumor is able to grow into the tissues in your foot.  The more time a tumor has to grow deeper into your foot, the more deadly it becomes.  By catching a tumor early through regular self-exams, you increase your chances of having it treated before it can invade local tissue or metastasize throughout your body. 

Like anywhere else on the body, in the foot you want to watch for the “ABCDs” of pigmented, or dark colored lesions including moles and anything darker colored than the normal surrounding skin.  “A” stands for asymmetrical shape or pigmentation, “B” stands for borders that are irregular or indistinct, “C” stands for any changes in the lesion, and “D” stands for a diameter of over six millimeters.  If you notice any of these features on a skin lesion in your foot it can be an early sign of cancer development and you need to contact your podiatrist who can then do a simple biopsy to check for any abnormal cell growth.  It is also important to recognize that while some cancers in the foot may display these “classic” signs to indicate their cancerous nature, skin cancer in the foot can also have a more atypical presentation including being scaly or non-pigmented in which they will be the same or a lighter color than the rest of your normal skin.  Cancer of the feet can also appear similar to other typical ailments of the foot.  For example, a case of tinea pedis, or “athlete’s foot” that does not resolve with the normal treatment for tinea pedis may require a biopsy to rule out other conditions that can include an atypical skin cancer. 

Keep skin safe on all tropical travel this year with sunscreen use and with fair-skinned individuals especially taking further protective measures using clothes or sticking with the shade!  Happy travels and take care of your feet no matter where you choose to go!

Please visit www.columbusfoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Powell. If you would like to see a podiatrist in Dublin, Ohio near Tuttle Crossing, call 614-885-3338 for an appointment.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

On Sunday August 21, Columbus, OH fans of the Cincinnati Bengals will have to travel all the way to New York City to see their team play the New York Jets.  The trip may be worth it to witness a Bengals win, which the odds are improved for by the fact that the Jet’s first string running back, Shonn Greene will be on the bench for the game.  Shonn Greene is not playing because team doctors recently caught the start of a skin infection in his foot and are now giving him time to recover while he takes antibiotics. 

While many people may think that skin infections of the foot only occur in people with diabetes, the elderly, or others with a compromised immune system, Shonn Greene shows that even a professional athlete at his peak level of health and fitness needs to watch for signs of infection in the foot and ankle. Shonn was receiving a local anesthetic to have a callus removed by the Jet’s team doctor when he pointed out another area of his foot that had been bothering him.  He was lucky for the callus bringing him in the presence of medical experts who were able to diagnose the painful area as a low grade skin infection.  For Shonn, increased pain was the first sign of an infectious process occurring.  As infection progresses, other common signs to watch for include: swelling, redness, tenderness, heat, and red streaks extending from the affected area.  Because his infection was caught early on, the Jets have made a statement that his infection is responding well to treatment and antibiotics.  Shonn’s infection also brought to mind for many teams, the importance of a clean training and locker room.  While the Jets believe that this was not the source of the infection, athletes must take extra care to keep their feet clean and dry.  Wearing shower shoes or flip flops when walking in moist areas where many other bare feet have walked such as locker rooms and public showers is also a good measure to avoid Athlete’s foot. 

A foot infection can spread quickly to become much more serious than just pain and swelling on the surface of the foot.  If allowed to progress, infections can reach the blood and bone, leading to osteomyelitis (a bone infection) or even worse can spread in the blood throughout the body leading to a bacteremia (blood infection) with systemic shock and possibly death.  Luckily, Shonn and hopefully anyone else with a suspicious wound or area of pain on their foot know to talk to an experienced podiatrist and get help immediately!  Prompt treatment of an infection can stop the infection before it gets to a more severe stage.

Please visit www.columbusfoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington. To schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Dublin, Ohio, near Tuttle Crossing Mall, please call 614-885-FEET (3338).

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

With the heat wave striking Columbus and much of the country this past week, many people may be sweating a bit more than usual.  However, for some people, this excessive sweating can continue to occur regardless of whether there are record high temperatures, or it is a snowy day in January. This is a condition called hyperhidrosis, which is actually an inherited medical condition that results in increased sweating. 

The feet are one of the most common areas that show an increase in sweat, along with the armpits and palms of the hands.  Sweaty feet from hyperhidrosis or just from high temperatures may not be as prominently on display to others as the palms or armpits, but they can lead to a variety of other problems.  Sweaty feet may cause embarrassment if the feet produce an unnatural odor as a result.  This occurs because bacteria thrive in warm, dark and damp conditions and increasing dampness by sweating will serve to make the foot a more ideal habitat for bacteria to grow.  The more bacteria present in these conditions, the more the foot will smell.  A more serious side effect is that fungus also thrives growing in these conditions, making a sweaty foot more likely to develop Athlete’s foot or a foot fungus.  If red, patchy, itchy areas of skin develop it is important to get your feet evaluated by a podiatrist.  If you do have a foot fungus, the more quickly it can be treated the less likely it will spread to the toenails or other areas of skin.  Fungal toenails are often more resistant to topical creams than a skin fungus, and may require the use of a quick laser fungal nails treatment or a much longer course of topical and oral medication. 

For anyone with sweaty feet regardless of the cause, it is important to change socks at least once a day to avoid staying in wet socks.  With sweat that has passed through socks causing shoes to be wet, it is also a good idea to alternate wearing different pairs of shoes every other day to give damp shoes a chance to dry out completely.  Non-medicated baby powder or foot powder can be dusted onto feet to help keep them dry.  It is also important to examine feet thoroughly for signs of infection, which can also present with a strange odor.  For individuals with hyperhidrosis, topical medications can be prescribed, a procedure called iontophoresis, or even surgery are options for treatment depending on the severity and responsiveness to treatment of the excessive sweating. 

Please visit www.columbusfoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Lewis Center.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia