New York Giants co-owner has discovered an unusual good luck charm for his team with a little help from his two daughters.  In late December, his daughters painted his nails in red and blue, the Giants’ colors, and the team has not lost a game since then.  Steve has left the polish on in the hopes that the good luck charm can work its magic for one last game at the Super Bowl. 

While his nail polish certainly may not be looking “pedicure perfect” after 5 weeks, the health of Steve’s toes and nails are in no danger as long as he still has been taking regular care of his feet.  Pedicures for both men and women can be relaxing and safe for as long as you keep the health of your feet a priority.  If Steve decides to keep his trend going there are a few things he should know about the relationship between toenails and overall health.  First, nail polish is completely safe to use on healthy toenails.  However, if a toenail fungus, or onychomycosis is present, nail polish should not be applied.  The polish “locks in” the fungus and allows it to continue thriving on nail tissue.  Treatment should be sought when nails appear abnormally thickened or discolored, as this can be a sign of an invasion of “dermatophytes”, the organisms most commonly at the root of a nail fungus.  After the nail infection is treated with PinPointe Foot Laser or a variety of other medications and the fungus has resolved, regular nail polish may be applied. 

The length of the nail after it has been trimmed can be another area of podiatric problems for those trimming their own nails or having them trimmed at a nail salon.  In some individuals, toenails are extremely curved along the sides.  When these curved nails are cut too short, the individual’s likelihood of developing an ingrown toenail is greatly increased as the nail regrows.  Ingrown toenails can become infected and extremely painful.  Contact your podiatrist at the first signs of an ingrown nail.  Attempting to remove the ingrown portion of the nail on your own can lead to dangerous infection that is capable of spreading beyond the affected toe. 

Whether you are prepping your nails for the big game or a big date before Valentine’s Day be sure to keep your feet healthy and call your podiatrist if you notice any unusual changes!

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 Westerville. 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

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

While parents of kids in the Olentangy and Dublin City school districts around our offices at Columbus Podiatry & Surgery prepare for back to school, there is one item that is sure to make every child’s wish list for starting the fall looking their best: new shoes. While getting the best price and shoes that look “cool” for your kids are certainly factors when making a purchase, the health of your child’s feet need to be priority number one. 

One of the most important parts for a child’s shoe is to make sure that the shoe fits correctly.  Because feet grow so quickly, it is very important to have both feet measured every time new shoes are purchased as a child is still developing.  Most stores selling children’s shoes have what is called a Brannock device that not only measures the length of the foot from heel to toe, but also the width of the foot and the length of the foot from the heel to the ball, which is actually the most important determinant in foot size.  Once the foot size is measured, this provides a general guide to what shoe size to try. Foot size and shoe size may not always be the same because different shoe companies’ sizes may vary.  Check to make sure the toes are not hitting the front of the toe box and that the ball, or widest part of the foot, lines up with the widest part of the shoe.  These simple measures can prevent painful foot problems for your child such as black toenails and calluses.  A properly fitting shoe also allows bones that are still growing and ossifying to develop in the correct position and prevent foot and ankle deformities.  More problematic feet may require orthotics or braces and a shoe with laces versus a slip-on should then be selected to accommodate these devices. 

Hand me downs and online purchasing for back to school shoes may seem like an enticing idea to any bargain hunter; however these practices should also be generally avoided.  Hand me downs can be problematic not only because of the possibility of foot fungus spreading, but also because the cushioned insole portion of the shoe tends to mold to the shape of the foot of the initial wearer.  When a younger sibling or other hand me down shoe “receiver” then wears the shoes, they will not mold to their foot shape and may lack support and cushioning in areas where it is needed.  Online shoe shopping does not provide the opportunity to make sure that shoes fit appropriately on a foot that may have grown a size or two since the last shoe purchase; so make sure the retailer has a good return policy just in case!

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 near Powell. Looking for a podiatrist in Dublin, OH? Columbus Podiatry & Surgery's foot doctors are now in Dublin!

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

It is that perfect time of summer to head from Columbus, Ohio to the nearby beach at Alum Creek State Park, or your favorite local pool.  While you may be looking great in your new bathing suit, you want your feet to also look healthy when your toes are on display for everyone to see. 

If your toes are not the translucent, shiny nails that you would want to see, and are instead are becoming thickened, and discolored this could be a sign that you have developed a fungus in your toenails. The nails will become brittle, flaky and chalky and the nail discoloration can range from yellow to brown or even black if the fungus developed after a nail was bruised. 

Especially in the summer, prevention is critical to avoiding a toenail fungus.   A toenail fungus can initially be picked up as Athlete’s foot or a foot fungus on the skin, before it invades the nails.  Fungus can be transmitted from skin cells that have been shed, which naturally occurs from both healthy and unhealthy skin.  Fungus also thrives growing in places that are damp, dark and warm.  Based off of these ways that a nail fungus is transmitted, it is important to keep you feet dry and clean and avoid being barefoot in wet areas where many other people are barefoot, including locker rooms, pools, and water parks. 

While some fungal infections can often be treated with over the counter creams, fungal toenails require seeing a physician for treatment that will actually get rid of the fungus before it becomes painful.  Because nails grow relatively slowly and to cure toenail fungus you want to make sure it is completely gone, prescription oral medications typically require being taken for at least 12 weeks, with some medications requiring even longer.  While often helpful in clearing up toenail fungus, patients should know that there are some possibly serious risks involved with taking an oral antifungal medication, including liver and kidney problems.  There is also a more recent FDA approved, less risky and less time-consuming way to treat toenail fungus called the Pinpointe Foot Laser.  Utilizing the Pinpointe Foot Laser to remove fungus from a toenail is painless, takes only 30-40 minutes and has no health restrictions or adverse side effects.  Whatever treatment option you choose, it is important to take care of your toes and call your podiatrist at the first sign of abnormal changes to keep your toenails healthy and ready to be shown off during summer and all year round!

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.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia