As Memorial Day approaches, many of our patients at Long Island Foot & Ankle Group, PC begin to think about trading boots for sandals and spending time at some of our beautiful Nassau county beaches. Suddenly, the appearance of your feet becomes more of a priority and conditions that didn’t really bother you over the winter take center stage. Below are 3 common foot concerns patients are more likely to bring to us at this time of the year:
- Fungal Toenails—if you have a toenail that is thick and discolored and chipping or crumbling around the edges you most likely have a fungal infection. Fungi are spread by direct contact and thrive in warm, moist places (like warm socks and closed-in shoes). Our treatment method of choice for fungal toenails is laser therapy, which uses a focused beam of laser light to eradicate the fungus. For most patients, two or three treatments will get toenails back to sandal-ready condition.
- Freckles/Moles—melanomas and other forms of skin cancer can develop on the skin of your feet just as they can on other parts of your body. Unfortunately, since feet are covered up for so much of the year the changes in a freckle or mole may not be noticed immediately. Check your feet over, top and bottom, and don’t forget to look between your toes as well for spots that have irregular borders, multiple colors or that have changed shape or size. And, don’t forget to apply sunscreen once you do start wearing sandals and going barefoot at the beach or pool.
- Bunions—this progressive disorder most often is identified by a large protruding bump at the base of the big toe. There are several medical and surgical treatments available for treating bunions depending on how uncomfortable they are and how far they have progressed.
If you have concerns about any of the above conditions or you have noticed other abnormalities with regard to the appearance of your feet, contact our Valley Stream (516) 825-4070 or Lake Success (516) 327-0074 office and make an appointment with one of our podiatrists, Dr. Russell Caprioli, Dr. Mary Ann Bilotti, Dr. John Haight or Dr. Marzana Mleczko. The foot doctor will diagnose your condition and prescribe the proper treatment to get your feet back in tip-top shape in time for summer’s open shoe styles.