I broke my ankle about three years ago in a car accident. I followed all of the doctor's instructions as my ankle healed, but something didn't heal quite right. Two and a half years later, I was still having severe pain and my doctor couldn't figure out why. He suggested that I see a podiatrist to have it looked at more closely. It turns out that there is a lot more to an ankle injury than I had known. Scroll through my site to find out what can really happen to your ankle when it is broken and what could cause the pain to continue long after the injury is sustained.
Athlete's foot is a fairly common condition that usually goes away by using products you buy over the counter at the drugstore. However, if you have an infection on your feet that does not respond to home treatments, or if the infection is severe, you should see a foot doctor for treatment. You might have another condition that mimics athlete's foot. Here's why you should go to a podiatrist rather than try to tough out a fungal infection on your feet.
Get A Diagnosis
In order for your condition to respond to treatment, you have to know for sure what's causing your problem. You might have a bacterial infection, fungus infection, psoriasis, or eczema. By trying to treat yourself, you delay getting the proper medication that will help your symptoms.
Access To Prescription Medications
A foot doctor can provide you with stronger anti-fungal medications than you can buy over the counter. If you have a stubborn infection, it may not respond to home treatments. In fact, creams and sprays may not work at all if the infection is under thick skin on the bottom of your feet. In that case, you'll need to take oral medication. If you have a bacterial infection too, you'll probably need to take antibiotics as well.
Prevent Diabetic Complications
If you also have diabetes, you shouldn't try to treat athlete's foot on your own. Since you have decreased sensations and poor circulation in your feet when you have diabetes, you are at higher risk of complications when you get a foot infection. You need quick and aggressive treatment to keep the fungal infection from spreading and to prevent bacteria from flourishing in the broken skin on your feet.
Stop The Infection From Spreading
If you can't get your fungal infection under control, you'll not only prolong the misery of itchy, painful feet, you'll also risk spreading the infection to other people and to other parts of your body. You could end up with a fungal infection in your armpits or groin and be even more miserable. You could also spread the condition to your kids or spouse, since athlete's foot can be spread through contact.
Control Severity Of The Outbreak
Without proper treatment of your fungal infection, your symptoms could get worse. You might develop painful blisters that interfere with your ability to work. If the outbreak is on the soles of your feet, it may hurt to walk. If it's between your toes, you may be miserable with itching. You could develop ulcerations, infections that drain pus, and skin cracks. This could escalate into an infection that causes a fever, swelling, pain, and red streaks up your foot and leg. If your symptoms seem to be severe, you should see your doctor right away.
Prevent Further Infections
If you have trouble with fungal infections repeatedly, a podiatrist can help you understand why and come up with a plan to keep them from coming back. This could involve the use of prescription medication to make sure you completely eradicate the fungus along with lifestyle changes. Fungus thrives in warm, damp places. Your foot doctor will teach you how to keep your feet and the area between your toes as dry as possible, even if it means changing your socks often and using powder to soak up moisture. Also, if you spend a lot of time in a public pool or locker room, always wear sandals so your feet don't come in contact with the bare floor that could be contaminated with fungus.
Share16 May 2015
