Athletes Foot 

The term “athletes foot” commonly describes a skin fungus that causes redness and itching in the feet. Some forms involve a flaky, dry, peeling of the skin as well. Other forms of skin fungus may cause the skin to feel hot and moist.

Over-the-counter products for athletes foot include aerosol sprays, powders and creams. With our experience we find that these products work moderately well for a few days in decreasing some of the symptoms, but are not strong enough to eliminate the constion. The fungus may “come back” or not go away completely. We recommend prescription strength anti-fungals, as well as keeping the feet dry, changing socks often, replacing old worn shoes, and good foot hygiene.

Fungus Toenails 

Fungus toenails are caused by microorganisms that invade the nail bed, causing the nail to become thick, discolored, and flaky. The type of fungus to invade the nail bed comes from many sources including the bathroom, public showers and gyms, and the beach. It may also result from damage to the nail, allowing the fungus easier access.
 

There are many myths and non-myths about nail fungus. The first myth is that the fungus will spread to the body and cause serious infection and harm. This is not true. The second myth is that “all” prescription medicines will harm the liver. This is also not true. Prescriptions may or may not have side effects depending on many factors. The third myth is that old family recipes will kill the fungus without prescription medicines.  We have heard many such stories and will happily share the results from people who have tried these “other” treatments.  There are good oral and topical treatments available that are safe, effective, and work better than “alternative” treatments.

Warts 

Verrucae, commonly called warts, are a common problem that we see in our office. They are caused by a virus that invades the skin, proliferates, and develops into a cauliflower appearing lesion with pin point bleeding. As the wart continues to grow and become larger, it presses against nerves causing pain and inflammation. Warts do not respond to treatment easily, sometimes become resistant to certain treatments, and are generally difficult to eliminate completely.
 

There are many types of treatments for warts that have been used over the past century, including surgical excision, “freezing”, anti-viral injections, lasers, topical medicines, and many others. A common complaint with many treatments is that there is pain associated with the treatment, or in other words, “the cure is worse than the disease”. Our office specializes in the latest treatments available for warts, most of which are painless and effective.