Foot injuries are not something to be taken lightly. As your feet carry you everywhere you go, it’s absolutely vital that they heal properly after any sort of injury. If you have witnessed one of the following signs of a foot injury, contact a podiatrist immediately. Even if you are able to move the injured parts, you should contact a foot doctor for an examination and possibly an X-ray to determine how serious the injury is.

Serious foot injuries, such as sprained ankles and fractured toes, are often accompanied by certain conditions. For example, if you heard a noise, such as a pop or snap, when the injury occurred, it is likely that the injury is serious. In addition, bruising, discoloration, and swelling often occur when your foot is seriously injured.

Do these conditions apply to your foot injury? If so, it is urgent that you see a foot doctor. If you think you may have an ankle sprain or broken toes near Whitestone, call Family Foot Center immediately at (718) 767-5555 for an examination.

Yellow toenails are usually a sign that something unusual is going on in your body. For example, you may have picked up a toenail fungus, or you could be developing a more serious medical condition. If you have yellow toenails, it’s a good idea to check in with your foot doctor or local foot center for diagnosis and treatment.

Watch this video to learn more about what causes toenails to take on a yellow tint. The speaker explains how yellow nails can indicate a fungal infection or, in some cases, the early stages of diabetes. While it may seem surprising that diabetes is connected to podiatric medicine, the fact is that the interaction of sugar and protein in a diabetic’s body can cause the nails to turn yellow.

Do you have yellow toenails? Call the Family Foot Center in Whitestone at (718) 767-5555 for more information about treating the causes of yellow nails.

Itchy feet can often be an unpleasant and embarrassing symptom of various skin conditions. If you feel like your itchy feet have taken over your life, contact a foot doctor or go to your local foot center to narrow down the root cause of your foot itch. Read on to understand why your feet might be itching and how you can prevent foot itch in the future.

Itch-Causing Skin Conditions

Feet are especially vulnerable to itch-causing skin conditions. One reason for this is that many people wear poorly ventilated shoes. These moist, sweaty environments can wreak havoc on your foot health. Itch-causing skin conditions can also result from walking barefoot, which leaves the feet exposed. For example, athlete’s foot is a very contagious fungal infection that can be picked up by walking barefoot on a contaminated floor. Finally, a condition such as a skin allergy can also cause feet to become unbearably itchy.

Treating Foot Itch

How your foot itch should be treated will depend on its root cause. If your podiatrist determines that you have athlete’s foot, he or she will likely suggest using an antifungal spray or cream. If allergies are the cause of your foot itch, you’ll need to avoid the substance that is causing the allergic reaction. In the meantime, your doctor may prescribe a serotonin inhibitor or antihistamine to reduce the itching and swelling.

Preventing Foot Itch

Practicing proper foot care can aid in reducing foot itch and preventing itch-causing skin conditions. To keep the feet healthy, it’s best to wear socks made of a breathable material, such as cotton. In addition, well-ventilated shoes are a must. Just be sure that your feet are well-protected when you are in an environment with shared facilities, such as a gym. These strategies will help keep your feet dry and prevent the growth of fungal infections.

Are you looking for a foot specialist in Whitestone to help treat your itchy feet? Family Foot Center is only a phone call away. Call (718) 767-5555 today to set up a consultation with a foot specialist and leave foot itch behind for good.

Have you ever had foot pain? It follows you everywhere—literally. There are many underlying causes of foot pain; many of them require treatment by a podiatrist, while others can be treated with rest and over-the-counter medication. Keep reading to learn more about what could be causing your nagging foot pain.

Improper Footwear

Some shoes may look amazing on the outside, but feel terrible when you put them on. Don’t ignore this initial pain. Wearing shoes that don’t fit your feet properly on a regular basis can lead to painful problems that just can’t be ignored. For example, wearing the wrong shoes can cause heel spurs; likewise, wearing tight shoes or high heels can result in Morton’s neuroma, a syndrome that causes pain and numbness in the feet. Both of these conditions may require podiatric surgery if they become too serious.

Strenuous Activity

Strenuous activity, like running, can also result in foot pain. Metatarsalgia, which causes inflammation in the ball of the foot, often results from running and jumping. Sesamoiditis is another painful condition that is common among runners and ballet dancers. Both of these conditions will require you to take a break from strenuous activity and rest your feet.

Arthritis

Arthritis can cause pain in many areas of the body, and you’ll find that your feet are no exception here. Arthritis may lead to podiatry problems, such as toe pain caused by gout. In addition, hallux rigidus is an arthritic syndrome in which the big toe becomes stiff and painful. Although there is no cure for arthritis, your podiatrist can suggest some treatments to ease your foot pain.

As your foot pain could stem from a variety of causes, you shouldn’t try to diagnose it yourself. A professional podiatrist can help diagnose and treat your painful toes and feet so that you can get back to your normal lifestyle. If you’re plagued by foot pain in Whitestone, relief is around the corner. Call the Family Foot Center today at (718) 767-5555 to set up a consultation with a podiatrist.

A foot surgeon sometimes recommends that foot arthritis be treated with podiatric surgery. There are many kinds of surgery used to treat foot arthritis.

In podiatry, a foot surgeon may treat arthritis with fracture repair, arthroscopic debridement, or joint fusion. For optimal foot health, it is important to consult extensively with your foot center in Whitestone. Arthroscopic debridement is a podiatric surgery used in the early stages of arthritis. This surgery may be helpful for removing inflamed tissue or bone spurs that have formed on the joint. Fracture repair may be recommended if a bone has become displaced or broken in such a way that the broken ends do not line up. In this case, a foot surgeon will reposition the bone and place hardware to help it heal. With joint fusion, a foot surgeon removes the ends of bones where they meet to form joints and then joins the two ends with pins until they fuse into a single unit.

If you live near Whitestone, Bayside, College Point, or Flushing and are considering podiatric surgery for foot arthritis, contact Family Foot Center. You can reach a foot doctor by calling us at (718) 767-5555.