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Dublin, OH 43017
Phone: (614) 859-FEET (3338)
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Posts for tag: PinPointe Laser

By drbhatia
June 27, 2011
Category: Foot Care

 

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

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By drbhatia
June 24, 2011
Category: Foot Care

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
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By Dr. Bhatia
March 14, 2011
Category: Foot Care

 

It is known that smoking greatly increases an individual's likelihood of Cure for toenail fungus, laser for nail fungus, fungal nail, toenaildeveloping 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 PinPointe Laser for nail fungus, toenail fungus, fungal nails, nail fungus curefor 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

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Podiatrist - Animesh Bhatia, D.P.M., C.W.S. , Sarah Newby, D.P.M. , Columbus OH, 43235, Dublin, OH 43017, (614) 885-3338
If you are in search of an experienced podiatrist in Columbus Ohio, you have come to the right place. Our podiatrists in Columbus, OH and Dublin, OH are highly skilled in many aspects of podiatric treatments. Selecting a foot doctor in your area can be a difficult task, but it doesn't have to be, especially when you have Dr. Bhatia and Dr. Newby as options.