December 2022

Though verrucas are so common, people still have loads of questions surrounding them. In fact, people even get confused about whether they have a verruca or corn. In this blog, we’ll tell you all the important things there are to know about verruca infections. Keep reading to learn more.

What Are Verrucas on Feet?

Verruca or verruca infections are a virus. It is caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and is highly contagious. Verrucas on feet are commonly spotted on the soles of the areas around one’s toes. These viruses thrive in moist environments and tend to cyclically be an outbreak in children at the park (like hand, foot, mouth disease). Verrucas tend to look kind of like cauliflowers, but then they flatten up because of pressure when they are on the soles of your feet.

Sometimes verrucas can be painless, but more often than not they are very uncomfortable and even painful to deal with. They can disappear overnight, or can be persistent for years on end.

What Is A Verruca Infection?

Verrucas are a type of wart that develop on your feet. This type of wart is specific to the feet and is surprisingly common. Verruca infections are usually harmless, and so many people aren’t even aware of their existence. You can either have a single verruca that develops on your foot, or you can also have a cluster of verrucae that covers a greater area on your foot.

Verruca infections are a result of a viral infection called the Human Papilloma Virus, or HPV for short. There are so many types of HPV, but in particular HPV 1, 2, and 4 are the subtypes that are most likely to lead to verrucae development.

How Do Verrucas on Feet Form?

As mentioned earlier, verruca infections are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). There are lots of old wive’s tales surrounding the causes of verrucae, and the most common one is “swimming pools cause verrucae”. Though this is true, it needs a little more context. Swimming pools themselves do not cause the verruca infection, but since verrucae are highly contagious, it’s very easy to develop verrucae from being in the same swimming pool with someone who is affected.

Cross-infection is very common, and if you have a verruca and you’re walking around barefoot, you’ll probably infect the next barefoot person to walk on the same floor. You can also catch it by direct contact with another person’s verruca. In fact, you can even be contagious to yourself. If you have a verruca, and you touch it and then touch other parts of your body, you’re likely to spread the verruca infection.

Do I Have A Verruca or a Corn?

This question is an age-old one. Almost everyone asks this, because it is very easy to confuse a verruca for a corn. They are vastly different, however.

Most verrucae have black dots in their center, but some don’t, which leads people to mistake them for corns and allow them to grow. Verrucae are known to push the papillary lines on the foot, while corns do not do this.

Normally, verrucae are painful when pinched but not when pressed, while corns are the opposite.
To know more about how you can spot the differences between corns and verrucas, read this article.

Am I Susceptible To Verruca Infections?

This is a very subjective question. Everyone’s immune system is different, so some people may run the risk of developing verrucae while others don’t. You do, however, run the risk of getting verruca infections if you don’t partake in foot hygiene and take certain preventative measures.

How Can I Prevent Verrucae?

Verrucae are super common and are nothing to be ashamed of! Most people have developed a verruca infection at least once in their lives. You can follow these measures to reduce your risk of verruca infections:

• Try not to walk barefoot, especially in areas where other people walk barefoot.
• Don’t swim with a person who has a verruca infection.
• Try not to share yoga mats and clothing items.
• Avoid touching warts, be it your own or someone else’s.
• If you have to touch someone’s wart (or your own), make sure to thoroughly wash your hands after.
• Do not share footwear with anyone.
• Don’t try on shoes in shops without wearing socks first.

What Can I Do For Verruca Treatment?

In most cases, verrucae go away on their own. They can be an eyesore, however, which is why many people opt for verruca treatment. If you want to wait it out, you can, but this entails almost waiting for a couple of years. Verrucae take a long time to go away. If you want to opt for verruca treatment, we can help you at Bucksfoot Clinic. We’ll be able to diagnose your verruca and discuss treatment options, both clinical and home-based!

Conclusion

Now that you know everything you need to know about verruca infections, it’ll be easier for you to identify them and get the proper treatment required. In case you’re dealing with verrucas on your feet, or any other issue related to your feet, visit a podiatrist immediately.

Bucksfoot Clinic is here to help you! Book an appointment with us for quick and painless relief.

Podiatrist Help With Diabetic Care

Did you know that a limb is amputated due to diabetes every 20 seconds? Diabetes increases your chances of developing foot issues and complications. Typically, neuropathy in the feet and toes causes this kind of nerve injury.

Over time, you lose the ability to sense pain if you have nerve damage in your foot. When this occurs, a cut, wound, or injury to your foot or toes may go undiscovered. These minor wounds can develop into more serious issues, such foot ulcers, very fast.

Podiatrists can be of assistance here. Podiatrists are medical professionals that specialise in the care and treatment of the feet.

In this blog, we’ll give you a run-down on the relationship between our podiatry services and diabetic care in Chesham, Amersham, and Beaconfield. Read on to learn more.

How Can A Podiatrist Help With Diebetic Care?

An essential member of your diabetes health care team is a podiatrist. Podiatrists have received specialised training in evaluating nerve damage in the feet, identifying dangers to your particular foot health, and assisting patients in developing treatment and preventative strategies. Podiatrists assist in addressing the effects that diabetes might have on your feet.

What Foot Issues Can You Face Due To Diabetes?

There are several foot issues that people with diabetes may encounter, including:

• Nerve Damage: Nerve damage, often known as neuropathy, can result in pain and numbness in your feet. In the long run, this may result in more severe issues, such as losing feeling in your toes and feet. When this occurs, a cut could not be noticed as an injury.
• Foot Ulcers: An ulcer on the foot or toes is a wound that can develop. A portion of the foot’s tissue degrades, resulting in an open wound. These ulcers are prone to swelling and infection. Treatment is expensive and time-consuming. They can need to be amputated if they are not adequately treated or cared for.
• Charcot Foot: Nerve injury in the feet can also result in the bones there being more brittle. These bones can fracture due to deterioration and cause foot abnormalities.
• Amputations: Occasionally, damage caused by a foot ulcer or wound cannot be fixed. If this occurs, you could need to have an amputation.

These are just a few of the foot issues that might develop as a result of diabetes. Your precise risk factors and what to watch out for can be determined with the assistance of a podiatrist.

What To Talk To Your Podiatrist About?

Be sure to come prepared with information about your medical history and a list of questions or concerns when you make an appointment with a podiatrist. You might wish to bring up the following issues with your doctor:

• Nerve Damage: Ask for a monofilament test or thorough testing for nerve damage if you exhibit symptoms of neuropathy. This will assist you in determining whether you have nerve damage, what you should do to prevent it from worsening, and the issues that come with it.
• Foot Exams: Your podiatrist can demonstrate to you how to perform a foot exam at home and what to look out for.
• Temperature Monitoring: Clinical studies have shown that temperature monitoring can reduce the risk of foot ulcers and amputations by as much as 87%. Discuss with your doctor how Siren Diabetic Socks can be used for continuous temperature monitoring as part of your treatment strategy. Siren Diabetic Socks have the advantage of alerting you to the first signs of an injury with a connected app in addition to physically protecting your feet.
• Maintaining the health of your feet: Discuss daily precautions you can take for your feet with your podiatrist.

Looking For A Podiatrist Near You?

We hope this blog helped you understand the relationship between podiatry and diabetic care. If you’re looking for a podiatrist near you, you’ll be happy to know that Bucksfoot Clinic has many branches all over the UK. So, if you ant diabetic care in Chesham, diabetic care in Amersham, or even diabetic care in Beaconsfield… look no further. Book an appointment with Bucksfoot Clinic today.

Ingrown Toenail Infections are surprisingly common, and they usually occur due to negligence.

Read this article to learn more about ingrown toenail infections, their symptoms, and how to treat fungal toenail.

What Are Ingrown Toenail Infections?

It is necessary to know what you’re looking for when self-diagnosing yourself with an infection. You can’t confirm something unless you know what it is. So, what exactly is an Ingrown Toenail Infection?

Ingrown Toenails occur when the edge or corner tip of your nail pierces into your skin and then begins to grow back into it. It can happen to everyone and is extremely common and can also be quite painful to deal with. When you have an unattended ingrown nail, chances of infections run high, especially if you’re on your toes a lot! When left unattended, these infections can spread into the underlying bone structures of your feet. Which is why it’s always best to nip these painful growths at the bud!

How Do Ingrown Toenail Infections Form?

The main cause of nail infections like these is negligence. When you have an ingrown nail, it is important to treat it with utmost care so as to not let it get infected. If you notice an ingrown nail, you must treat it so you can prevent infections from spreading into your foot.

You can get ingrown toenails from cutting your toenails too short or keeping them too long, wearing improper footwear, angled nail cutting, toenail injury, and poor foot hygiene.

Sometimes, it’s genetic too. If you have a genetic predisposition to having curved toenails, you are at high risk for ingrowths and infections.

The best way to prevent these infections is to maintain proper foot hygiene, remember to cut your nails straight, wear shoes that fit you comfortably and check in with your podiatrist if something seems amiss.

Ingrown Toenail Symptoms

In order to avoid nail infections like ingrown toenail infections, it’s important to recognize ingrown toenail symptoms in their early stages. This way, you can get the treatment you need at the earliest.

You may be dealing with an ingrown toenail if:

– You have tenderness/pain in your toe on one or both sides of the nail
– The area surrounding your toenail is red
– Your toe swells up around the nail
– You notice infection in the tissue around your nail

If you notice the above symptoms, visit a podiatrist and nip the issue at the bud before negligence turns it into a full-blown nail infection.

How To Tell If It’s A Nail Infection

In case you’ve landed on this article too late, and your ingrown toenail looks like it’s infected, but you’re unsure… Here are a few sure-shot symptoms that indicate you’re dealing with a nail infection:

– Swelling
– Pain on touching
– Pressure under the nail
– Hardening / Redness of the skin around the nail
– Bleeding
– Throbbing
– Foul smell
– Oozing fluid / fluid buildup
– Pus or an abscess in the affected toe
– Warmth emanating from the area around the nail

What Does Toenail Fungus Look Like?

A very common question that gets asked is “what does toenail fungus look like?”. It’s good to know the symptoms so you can know how to treat your fungal toenail.

What does toenail fungus look like, you ask? Here’s your answer:

– A change in colour of your toenail, to either yellow, brown, and even white
– Thickened and often misshapen looking toenail
– Chalkiness / cloudiness in spots on your toenail
– Your toenail is separated from your nail bed
– Lots of breaks and cracks in one or multiple spots on your toenail

There are many ways toenail fungus can alter the visual appearance of your toenails. That’s why it’s important to know what it looks like, so you can treat it before it gets more serious.

If you find yourself noticing any of the above symptoms, you may just be dealing with toenail fungus and you should seek treatment with a podiatrist accordingly.

How To Treat Fungal Toenail

There are lots of different at-home treatments for toenail fungus. Which one is most effective to you depends on your situation and symptoms. Our podiatrists will be able to properly diagnose and treat your fungal toenail efficiently. In general, oral antifungal medicines are very effective and have great potential. You may even pair these pills with topical antifungal cream / medicine for best results.

Apart from that, there are a few home remedies:

– Snakeroot Extract: Sometimes the best solutions are found in nature. The extract of this antifungal plant can be used to treat fungal nail infections, and has proved to be as effective as ciclopirox, a drug-store anti-fungal treatment.

– Ozone Oils: Oils like sunflower oil and olive oil are oils that contain the same gases that exist in the ozone layer. Many studies have been conducted that have concluded that these “ozonized” oils are effective when it comes to treating nail fungus and may just be the best home remedy on how to get rid of a nail infection. In fact, a study took place in which sunflower oil had higher clinical effects than a common antifungal medication called ketoconazole.

– Oregano Oil: Another proof of the effectiveness of nature is oregano oil. It contains “thymol”, a naturally occurring phenol that is said to have antifungal properties. In treatments, this oil is also combined with tea tree oil, but this increases the risk of negative side effects, irritation, and allergic reaction.

We recommend seeing a podiatrist, however, because at-home treatments can go south very quickly if not performed correctly.

Conclusion

We hope this article helped answer your questions surrounding ingrown toenail infections and how to treat fungal toenail. If you think you may be dealing with any issues related to your feet, book an appointment with Bucksfoot Clinic! We’d be happy to help you.