Podiatry

Verrucas

A planter wart or verruca as it is more commonly known as  is a wart on the sole of your foot.  Verrucas can be very painful and are very contagious. If you suspect you have a verruca you should make sure to change your socks daily, wash your hands and feet regularly, and make sure not to share socks, shoes, face clothes or towels with anyone else. It is very important not to walk barefoot in public places. Public swimming pools and communal showers are the most common way to catch verrucas. A verruca is different from a corn in that it will have one or more small dots on it, and will hurt when pinched, but not when pressure is applied. Pain will also occur when standing or walking.

Treatment: When you attend the clinic with a verruca, we will check it’s size and how long it has been there. The area will be cleaned and Salicylic Acid is applied. The area will then be dressed and you will need to keep the area clean and dry. You will have to attend the clinic again 7-10 days later, where the dressing will be removed and the steps will be repeated. The severity of the verruca will determine how many times this process may need to be done. In the most severe cases it can take several appointments.

Corns and Calluses

Corns and calluses can both be caused by friction, rubbing or pressure from improper walking motion, but most commonly are caused by poorly fitting shoes. Women are four times more likely to suffer from foot problems due to their tendency to where high heels or tighter fitting shoes. Other things that can cause corns or calluses are foot deformities or wearing shoes or sandals without any socks.

There are three main types of corns:

  • A hard corn is a compact patch of hard skin with a dense core, which is generally found on top of a toe or the outside of the little toe

  • A soft corn is a reddened, tender area of skin, has a thin, smooth center and is found mostly between toes

  • A seed cornis a plug-like circle of dead skin, often painful, and mostly can be found on the heel or ball of the foot

When you attend the clinic with a corn, the podiatrist will examine it to make sure it’s not a verruca. They will then remove the corn by using a fine blade to slowly pull back the skin over it and remove it. It is important to note that corns will come back unless care is taken after they are removed.

A callus is a compact area of dead skin, which will feel hard and rough to touch, and is caused by repeated friction or rubbing to the area affected. Calluses are treated by using a fine blade to slowly par away the dead skin from the affected area. The podiatrist will offer you advice on preventing the problem from reoccurring.

Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown toe nails occur when the corner or edge of the toenail grows into the nail bed or the soft flesh of the toe rather than over it. The result is redness, swelling, pain and if left untreated, infection. The most common causes of an ingrown toe nail are:

  • Cutting toe nails wrong (nails should always be cut straight across)

  • Poorly fitted footwear such as socks, tights or shoes that fit too tightly

  • Injury to your nail such as stubbing it or something heavy falling on it

  • Irregular shaped or curved toenails

  • Poor posture

Signs that you may have an ingrown toenail are swelling to the toe, redness, and pain when pressure is applied. If the toe is bleeding or oozing pus, then it may well be infected and treatment should be sought immediately.

The way in which your ingrown toenail is treated will depend on the severity of it. Sometimes it can just be pulled out and  cut back slightly. More severe cases, especially those that re occur, may require nail surgery, where the nail is partially removed under local anaesthetic and phenol is applied to the nail to stop it growing back. The Podiatrist will advise you of your best option at the initial consultation.