AF&A Blog

As a youth, I spent some time around the family auto body shop. The smells of thinners, paints, and various chemicals were overpowering and I was required to keep my distance. These memories were triggered recently by similar scents coming from a nail salon. Walking past such an establishment recently, the door swung open and the strong chemical scent caused me to become a little light headed. I thought this an excellent topic for this week’s blog as nail polish is used so frequently.

The strong chemicals contained in polish (formaldehyde), removers (acetone), and the like may help complete your style, but may also be damaging your nails. Repeated and frequent use can weaken your nails and make them more prone to infection. But, you are just covering up that unsightly fungal nail? You may only be making the problems worse. Fungus tends to grow in warm, dark places and by covering your nail with polish you have just helped it become darker. Additionally, the removal and reapplication may have weakened enough to allow the fungus to spread.

If you have concerns that you may have a fungal nail, make a visit to AFAS. Many over the counter treatments are ineffective and seeking out a professional will be better to rid you of this problem. There are multiple treatment options that you can discuss with Dr. Thomajan and he will be able to plan which will be most effective for you. If fungus is not an issue, you should still consider using a more ‘nail friendly’ polish than the ones commonly found at your local salon. Products such as Nova Nail Rx actually help to strengthen your nails and as well as avoid fungal infections. Nova Nail Rx is available in a variety of colors and can be found in the office as well as our online store. Other ‘nail friendly’ polishes and removers can be found at our online store.  Healthy nails mean happy feet. Until next time, stay happy and health Austin!

You may brush it off because it only happens sometimes. Maybe the tips of your fingers tingle sometimes as do your toes. A little annoying perhaps, but nothing that stops your daily activities. Nothing to worry about, you may be thinking. Think again!

This is a sign of neuropathy, or your nerves inability to perform their job properly. Often a late complication of uncontrolled diabetes, your feet and hands, fingers and toes are the first parts affected. These sensations can eventually lead to complete loss of sensation and many associated problems. It is at the early stages that the reasons should be investigated.

Hopefully, you go to your family doctor for your yearly check up. These regular visits can help to identify problems like this early. Detecting diabetes early allows for proper intervention and lifestyle modification, things that will help maintain your health while living with this condition. If you do have diabetes, it is important to have a CDFE (comprehensive diabetic foot exam) every year with your podiatrist. This check-up involves a variety of tests to assess your sensation and assure that you are not affected by neuropathy. One of these tests, the ENFD (endothelial nerve fiber density) exam allows for early assessment of neurologic deficits. These early tests can help prevent the tingling before it starts.

With the help of your podiatric physician, you should be able to slow or stop the progression and complications associated with neuropathy. One treatment that may be suggested after your visit to AFAS is Neuremedy. This supplement has been used for many years to assure your nerves are receiving the proper care and nutrition. The sooner you seek medical care, the better the options for treatment.

Tingling toes should not be your first symptom, but if it is a regular occurrence don’t delay in making your appointment at AFAS. Keep those feet happy and healthy Austin!

Blisters on your feet are a common injury, especially for the athlete. A foot blister results when frictional forces cause layers of your skin to separate and fill with fluid. Shoe and foot types, increased moisture, and increased activity can all increase chances of this happening. Since we all need to stay fit, similar to any athlete, tricks for preventing a problem like this are useful for all of us.

Making sure that you have the proper shoe fit is the first thing you can do to avoid blisters. Blisters on your toes can often be avoided by checking that there is a thumbs width of distance between the tip of your shoe and your longest toe. Walking around in your shoes should allow you to notice any problem areas that may be associated with your foot ‘type’. If there is no apparent problem with the shoe other than making a particular part of your foot uncomfortable, you should talk to Dr. Thomajan about a custom orthotic. This may help your foot to function better and avoid future blisters.

It is important to examine your insoles as well. They may simply be ‘worn out’ and replacing them with new, more protective insert, may eliminate the problem. Moisture also increases the chances of blister formation. By wearing socks that wick away sweat or using proper drying agents, you can help decrease your risk of blister formation. Lastly, slowly working up to extended activities can not only help your feet adjust and prevent blisters, but can also prevent a wealth of other acute injuries.

Until next time, keep those feet healthy and stay happy Austin!

With summer in full swing, we want to use this blog to talk about prevention. You can prevent many foot problems by taking steps to protect the skin of your feet. One step, which has been mentioned before, is the use of sun block. Another we would like to discuss is the use of moisturizer. By taking care to keep the skin of your feet healthy, you can avoid damage and drying that can lead to more serious problems.

As we mentioned in our “By the skin of your feet..” blog a few weeks ago, sunscreen is as important to the skin of your feet as it is to the rest of your body. Use a sun block with an SPF factor of at least 15 and be sure to reapply if you are in the sun for prolonged periods of time. The three types of ‘skin cancer’ are all associated with increased exposure to the sun. Take the easy step of applying sun block and keep the sun from damaging your skin.

The warm weather may have you wearing more open backed shoes and sandals. These types of footwear allow the padding of your heel to spread out and hasten drying or callus formation. You may have applied lotion to your dry feet with little resolution. This can be especially troublesome if you are living with diabetes, kidney disease, or circulation problems. Dry heels can lead to fissures, poor healing and further complications in these situations. Lotions are typically inadequate to moisturize the thick and dry skin of your feet. Creams and emulsions made specifically for feet are often the better choice. Keep your feet moisturized and your skin intact by utilizing some of these products.

The use of sun block and moisturizers can do a lot to maintain the integrity of the skin covering your feet. If you already have thickened, cracked heels, it is important to see a podiatrist. Dr. Thomajan will need to remove some of the thickened skin for proper healing to occur in this case. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Until next time, keep healthy and happy Austin!