An Ohio woman has recently developed a new invention that may of benefit to podiatry patients whose toenails have gone missing!  “Nail Creations” is an artificial toe nail that can be stuck on to the skin for all those who may have lost a nail due to toenail fungus, injury or other disease process. 

While this addresses a cosmetic non-medical complaint after the toenail is already lost, it is important to consult your podiatrist at the first signs of nail changes to ensure adequate medical treatment against serious infection and disease and perhaps prevent the loss of the nail entirely!!

Nail fungus or onychomycosis is one of the most common disease processes that affect the toe nails.  The process of a nail fungal infection begins with some form of trauma.  This trauma can be something noticeable such as dropping a heavy item on your toenail or something occurring on a continuous basis going unnoticed.  Foot deformities such as hallux limitus, in which the movement in the joint of the big toe is restricted, can cause the toe to regularly undergo small trauma by slamming against the inside of your shoe with each step.  If an obvious trauma has happened a bruise under the nail may be seen as a black toenail.  Athlete’s foot or a tinea pedis also typically precedes the infection of the nail.  This fungal infection of the skin then moves into the toenails where the organisms causing the infection, commonly dermatophytes, thrive by eating the keratin that makes up the nail. 

All fungal infections should be treated to prevent spread and worsening of what can be a painful condition. Treatment of a fungal infection once it has reached the nails is more difficult than when only the skin is affected.  Oral medications are often needed that often have a variety of adverse side effects throughout the body.  At Columbus Podiatry and Surgery, we offer the PinPointe Foot Laser to treat nail fungus in our office in about 30-40 minutes without the harmful side effects.  Along with this treatment, it is also a good idea to be examined and treated by your podiatrist for any deformities that may be exposing your nails to unnecessary trauma and making them more susceptible for future infections.  With such treatment options not only are you keeping your feet healthy and preventing future fungal infections, but you also may prevent the loss of your toenail in the first place!  So while the “artificial toe nail” is a great option for those who have already lost their toe nail, preventing toenail loss is even better!

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 in between Westerville, Worthington and Powell.

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

CALL 614-885-FEET (3338) for an Appointment with a Podiatrist in Columbus, OH

•   1-3    Nails   $500                                       
•   3-5    Nails   $600
•   6-10  Nails   $700

After a long winter here in Columbus, all of us are ready to pack away our snow boots and bust out our sandals for spring!  This may also be the time of year you notice that your feet aren’t looking quite as healthy as you thought they were.  In winter many people pay less attention to the health and care of their feet simply because with heavy boots and socks on, they spend less time looking at them every day!  With the end of the winter season, and the start of a very rainy spring, foot fungus may be an unpleasant surprise popping up.

Athlete’s foot, or tinea pedis and fungal nails, or tinea unguium are the two fungal infections most commonly seen in the foot.  The reason that wet spring and a winter filled with boots bring on these organisms is that a fungus thrives growing in a warm, damp, dark, dirty place.  These growing conditions make the inside of a sweaty boot or a damp sock from stepping in a puddle ideal for a fungus to grow.  Once someone has a foot fungus, it can be transmitted to others by contact with the infected skin cells.  This is why it is recommended to wear sandals in a public shower or swimming area, as everyone naturally sheds skin cells.  The most important way to prevent a fungal infection is to keep your feet dry and clean, the opposite of the fungus’ growing conditions. Good ways to do this are by thoroughly drying in between the toes after bathing and changing out of dirty wet socks as soon as possible.

An infection of dermatophytes, the fungi that cause both Athlete’s foot and fungal nails, is characterized by itchy, scaly skin patches.  Athlete’s foot typically is first seen in the spaces between the toes, and if not treated can spread over the entire bottom surface of the foot or also infect the nails.  Fungal nails will typically appear thickened, brittle and discolored or with white spots that may spread to the entire nail being white.  In some cases, a black, bruised nail can also lead to nail fungus. 

Fungal treatment varies depending on the severity of the fungus, with nail fungus traditionally being more difficult to treat than Athlete’s foot.  A variety of different topical creams including Tinactin, and Lamisil can be used that cause damage to the cell membrane and thus kill the fungus.  Systemic drugs that you take orally are often needed in nail infections and can have a variety of adverse side effects throughout the body.  Treatment of fungus can last for an extensive period of time.   At Columbus Podiatry & Surgery, we offer the PinPointe Foot Laser as a preferred treatment method for toenail fungus, with no systemic effects and only about 30 minutes for a treatment.  

Remember to check your feet this spring and that the best plan for a foot or toenail fungus is to avoid one in the first place by keeping your feet dry and clean

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 in between Westerville, Worthington and Powell.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

It is known that smoking greatly increases an individual's likelihood of developing lung cancer and heart disease. However, many people may not realize how the chemicals taken in from cigarettes affect right down to the tips of your toes! A recent study done at the San Diego School of Medicine is being widely reported on that demonstrates a strong link between smoking, lung cancer and heart disease and toenails!

In the study, toenail clippings were tested for nicotine, the addictive chemical in tobacco products. It was found that men with the highest amounts of nicotine in their toenails were 10.5 times more likely to develop lung cancer and that women with the highest toenail nicotine levels had a 42% increased risk of developing heart disease. The interesting thing about this study is that it showed that toenails can show how much the person had been exposed to tobacco products over the 6 years before the toenails were clipped. Even in people who did not smoke, but were exposed to second hand smoke, nicotine levels in the toenails were quite high in some cases.

While these toenail tests are not yet being used to monitor the likelihood of cancer and heart disease, the toenails are frequently an area to watch for visible signs of problems. Changes in nail color, thickness, and smell can be signs of nail fungus, or onchomycosis. Nails are a good source of nutrients for several types of fungi, making them able to thrive while living there and even spread to other toenails. People with certain chronic diseases including diabetes, circulatory problems, and immunodeficiencies are more prone to developing a nail fungus. Because many smokers also often have circulatory problems, not only would they have displayed high nicotine in testing of their toenails, but odds are that smokers would also have a higher rate of toenail fungus than non-smokers. Keeping your feet dry and clean will make the environment of your toes less inviting to a potential toenail fungus. If you do observe changes in your toenails, it is important to call your podiatrist to avoid a secondary bacterial or yeast infection. A variety of treatments are available for a toenail fungus, including the highly successful PinPointe Foot Laser which we often use for patients here at Columbus Podiatry & Surgery. While oral medications can have side effects on your entire body, and topical creams or lotions such as Lotrimin and Lamisil need to be applied frequently for an extended period of time, the PinPointe laser typically treats toenail fungus without as extensive side effects and in only one quick office visit.

Once perfected for use in the future, toenail testing could be very useful. If a patient can be made aware of a heightened risk of developing lung cancer or heart disease, their likelihood of taking proactive measures such as quitting smoking, exercising, or changing their diet to include healthier foods may increase. For now, unusual changes in the toenails should be checked carefully to avoid toenail fungus!

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 in between Westerville, Worthington and Powell.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia