Items filtered by date: December 2021

Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection of the skin on the feet. While it usually causes itching, burning, stinging, and peeling skin, sometimes a person can have athlete’s foot with no symptoms at all. In those cases, the person will likely be unaware that they have an infection. Some people may have only very mild symptoms, and mistake athlete’s foot for dry skin on the soles of their feet. Athlete’s foot can be very contagious, capable of spreading from person to person and from one part of the body to another. If you suspect that you may have athlete’s foot, it is strongly suggested that you see a podiatrist for proper treatment. 

Athlete’s foot is an inconvenient condition that can be easily reduced with the proper treatment. If you have any concerns about your feet and ankles, contact Dr. Thong V. Truong from California.  Our doctor will treat your foot and ankle needs.

Athlete’s Foot: The Sole Story

Athlete's foot, also known as tinea pedis, can be an extremely contagious foot infection. It is commonly contracted in public changing areas and bathrooms, dormitory style living quarters, around locker rooms and public swimming pools, or anywhere your feet often come into contact with other people.

Solutions to Combat Athlete’s Foot

• Hydrate your feet by using lotion
• Exfoliate
• Buff off nails
• Use of anti-fungal products
• Examine your feet and visit your doctor if any suspicious blisters or cuts develop

Athlete’s foot can cause many irritating symptoms such as dry and flaking skin, itching, and redness. Some more severe symptoms can include bleeding and cracked skin, intense itching and burning, and even pain when walking. In the worst cases, Athlete’s foot can cause blistering as well. Speak to your podiatrist for a better understanding of the different causes of Athlete’s foot, as well as help in determining which treatment options are best for you.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office located in Chico, CA . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle needs.

You may have heard that toenails should be trimmed straight across (as opposed to rounded) and that they should not be too short. Maintaining your toenails in this way will help avoid the toenail from growing into the skin surrounding it, which can lead to an ingrown toenail. Aside from improper toenail trimming, it is believed that wearing shoes that are too narrow in the toe box or are too short—causing your big toe to rub against the tip—can sometimes lead to an ingrown toenail. While an ingrown toenail may not cause any symptoms at first, in time it may become painful, red, swollen, and possibly infected. Pus may even collect under the nail and then drain. If you have an ingrown toenail, it is suggested that you seek the professional care of a podiatrist as soon as possible while treatment methods are typically more simple.

Ingrown toenails can become painful if they are not treated properly. For more information about ingrown toenails, contact Dr. Thong V. Truong of California. Our doctor can provide the care you need to keep you pain-free and on your feet.

Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown toenails occur when a toenail grows sideways into the bed of the nail, causing pain, swelling, and possibly infection.

Causes

• Bacterial infections
• Improper nail cutting such as cutting it too short or not straight across
• Trauma to the toe, such as stubbing, which causes the nail to grow back irregularly
• Ill-fitting shoes that bunch the toes too close together
• Genetic predisposition

Prevention

Because ingrown toenails are not something found outside of shoe-wearing cultures, going barefoot as often as possible will decrease the likeliness of developing ingrown toenails. Wearing proper fitting shoes and using proper cutting techniques will also help decrease your risk of developing ingrown toenails.

Treatment

Ingrown toenails are a very treatable foot condition. In minor cases, soaking the affected area in salt or antibacterial soaps will not only help with the ingrown nail itself, but also help prevent any infections from occurring. In more severe cases, surgery is an option. In either case, speaking to your podiatrist about this condition will help you get a better understanding of specific treatment options that are right for you.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office located in Chico, CA . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle needs.

A broken toe can be a potentially serious injury. A toe bone can break either partially or fully, causing symptoms such as severe pain, tenderness, inflammation, and bruising. In some cases, the toe may become deformed due to a bone being knocked out of place. Broken toe treatment depends on the severity of the injury, but you should rest the injured toe. Your doctor may tape the broken toe to the toe next to it or give you a device to stabilize the injured toe while it heals. In cases of severe injury, surgery may be needed. You should always get medical attention right away if the broken bone pokes through the skin, if the affected foot is numb or cold, or if there are signs of infection. For more information about how to handle a broken toe, please consult with a podiatrist. 

Broken toes may cause a lot of pain and should be treated as soon as possible. If you have any concerns about your feet, contact Dr. Thong V. Truong from California. Our doctor will treat your foot and ankle needs.

What Is a Broken Toe?

A broken toe occurs when one or more of the toe bones of the foot are broken after an injury. Injuries such as stubbing your toe or dropping a heavy object on it may cause a toe fracture.

Symptoms of a Broken Toe

• Swelling
• Pain (with/without wearing shoes)
• Stiffness
• Nail Injury

Although the injured toe should be monitored daily, it is especially important to have a podiatrist look at your toe if you have severe symptoms. Some of these symptoms include worsening or new pain that is not relieved with medication, sores, redness, or open wounds near the toe.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office located in Chico, CA . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot care needs.

If your child is complaining about painful or swollen heels, or you have noticed them avoiding putting weight on their heels, they may have a condition known as Sever’s disease. Sever’s disease is an irritation of the growth plate in the heel bone. During puberty, when bones tend to grow more rapidly than muscles and tendons, these tissues can tighten and lose flexibility in response. If this tightening happens in the Achilles tendon, which attaches to heel bone, it can pull on the heel and irritate its growth plate. Sever’s disease is most common in children going through a growth spurt and who are physically active, especially with sports involving repetitive running and jumping. The condition typically occurs in children aged 10-12, before the heel bone has completely hardened. If you suspect your child may be experiencing Sever’s disease, take them to see a podiatrist who can diagnose the issue and help treat the pain and discomfort.

Sever's disease often occurs in children and teens. If your child is experiencing foot or ankle pain, see Dr. Thong V. Truong from California. Our doctor can treat your child’s foot and ankle needs.

Sever’s Disease

Sever’s disease is also known as calcaneal apophysitis, which is a medical condition that causes heel pain I none or both feet. The disease is known to affect children between the ages of 8 and 14.

Sever’s disease occurs when part of the child’s heel known as the growth plate (calcaneal epiphysis) is attached to the Achilles tendon. This area can suffer injury when the muscles and tendons of the growing foot do not keep pace with bone growth. Therefore, the constant pain which one experiences at the back of the heel will make the child unable to put any weight on the heel. The child is then forced to walk on their toes.

Symptoms

Acute pain – Pain associated with Sever’s disease is usually felt in the heel when the child engages in physical activity such as walking, jumping and or running.

Highly active – Children who are very active are among the most susceptible in experiencing Sever’s disease, because of the stress and tension placed on their feet.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office located in Chico, CA . We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle injuries.