Cracked Heels and Flip Flops

Have you noticed cracking at the back of your heel or dry skin along the bottom of your heel? This dry skin could result in skin cracks that go so deep that can cause bleeding and a lot of pain. This can actually be as a result of wearing flip flops.

Flip flops are shoes that don’t provide you any support and also expose your entire foot to the environment. As a result, you are putting a lot of pressure on your heels without any support. This can cause them to break down. Also, since flip flops are not easy to keep on your feet, you can actually end up walking on your heels a lot, as a result of slipping out of them.

So, what can you do to avoid this problem? For one, you can wear shoes that provide you better support than flip flops. Yes, it is summer time and you get hot, but there are plenty of sneakers that are very breathable while at the same time providing you arch support and heel support. Another possibility for shoe wear, is finding sandals that have multiple straps to them as well as are closed in the back of the shoe. These shoes can protect your heel from your everyday life while at the same time providing you with a good amount of support.

What happens if you already have cracked, dry, bleeding heels though? Your podiatrist can take off all of the thick callused skin that is preventing your skin from healing and being healthy. Your podiatrist can also prescribe you a deep moisturizing ointment or lotion that will help to soften the skin and give it a lot of moisture. This will also help to slowly get rid of your pain, because it will close up your skin and prevent healing.

So, if you or someone you know has a dry, cracked, bleeding heel and it is causing them a great deal of pain, you should seek help from your podiatrist. We also offer a free book on our website that talks about the many different causes of heel pain and suggests ways that you can find relief. If you live in the Boston or Bradford, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your heel. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.

March Featured Product: Gel Dry Skin Therapy Socks

It feels like winter has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean that the plague of dry skin has left. For many people, the colder and drier winter months bring cracking, flaking, itchy dry skin, but for some people this unfortunately doesn’t go away with the arrival of spring. Sometimes, this is a result of aging, poor circulation as a result of diabetes or it can even be that your skin doesn’t produce as much hydration. Regardless of the cause, it can be very frustrating to constantly be dealing with the lotions, creams and variety of many other suggestions for your skin that can end up just leaving a mess. So, if you find yourself to be in this boat, the product of the month for March just might be your life saver.

Gel Dry Skin Therapy Socks are socks that time release a mineral oil onto your feet leaving them moisturized while avoiding the mess of lotions and creams. The socks will last for up to a 3 month time period dependent upon how often you are using them. They can be washed just like your other socks are. An added perk for these socks is that although they have a cinched top to them, they do not cut off your circulation like many other tube socks would. This serves as an additional benefit especially for diabetic patients in whom it is so important to keep blood circulation as strong as possible.

Another perk is that the gel being released from these socks is both hypoallergenic and it will not serve as a pool for bacteria to grow in. So, if you are having trouble with dry feet or ankles, you can head over to the following link: http://www.ourdoctorstore.com/wachtel/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=272&DEPARTMENT_ID=54, and give these socks a try. Hope this helps with all of your dry skin troubles!

Doc, My Feet Itch! Athlete's Foot

With the Super Bowl on the horizon, let’s talk about a foot condition that plagues many athletes. In fact, it is so popular in the locker rooms that it has earned its own sports name. That infamous bug is referred to as none other than Athlete’s Foot.

Athlete’s foot is a fungus that can be transferred from person to person. It thrives in dark, wet, secluded locations such as locker room floors, showers and in between your toes. So, we’ve all heard the drill, we are supposed to wear shower shoes when we are showering in a public restroom. This is because in theory, we are preventing our feet from directly touching the same wet floor that everyone else has had their food on. Unfortunately, that is just not enough. More importantly, you need to very thoroughly dry the spaces between your toes. This is where the fungus takes off typically, because of that perfect environment described above. For some of us though,  the pores of our feet secrete a greater amount of sweat than the average person. For these people, it is especially important to be changing your socks a couple of times a day and drying off your feet to try and reduce the moisture on your feet.

Athlete’s foot can be difficult because it has many different patterns of presentation. There is a commercial out right now that says most athlete’s foot starts between your 3^rd and 4^th toe. Now, although this is true, most people don’t notice it until it has progressed to several of their toes or even a good portion of their foot. Athlete’s foot can range from dry skin to cracked, itchy, burning or even blisters. Due to its wide range of appearances, it can be difficult to diagnose right away. Often times, your physician will start you on some over the counter treatments that will hopefully stop the fungus and kill it off. If this does not work, there are some prescriptions that are more potent and will stop the infection. If none of this works though, your physician may want to do a biopsy of the area to determine what exactly is causing your problem. There are several other dermatological conditions that look very similar to Athlete’s foot. If  you are in the Newburyport, Chelmsford, Lowell or North Andover, Massachusetts area and you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please feel free to contact us and our office staff would be more than happy to help you start a treatment plan and get back up on your feet.

With all of this said, the most important key to Athlete’s foot is prevention. So, make sure you are keeping those toes nice and dry. This will help keep the fungus away and keep you in the game.