How to Keep Your Feet Dry when Playing Sports in the Rain and Snow

When you are running in the rain, skiing, skating or sledding in snow, your feet are bound to get wet at some point. This can cause discomfort, and in extreme cases, can result into fungal infections such as tinea pedis and toenail fungus.

Causes of Wet Feet

• Moisture. Exposure to extreme moisture in rainy and snowy conditions can contribute significantly to wet feet.
• Perspiration. During intense activity, your body generates a lot of heat which can cause the feet to sweat thereby soaking the inner part of the shoes.
• Type of Footwear. The choice of material when it comes to the footwear you use is very crucial. Certain footwear such as cotton or nylon socks and shoes made of plastic or synthetic fabric lining can prevent sweat from evaporating, leaving your feet wet.

Prevention of Wet Feet

In order to keep your feet dry, you need to take some deliberate measures before or during the activity you’re participating in:

• Waterproof Shoes. Quality waterproof footwear with extra space inside to trap air can help in cooling off the feet in the event of perspiration while keeping external moisture away.
• Wool Socks. For sporting activities, you need socks that dry fast. Polyester and wool-based fabrics are excellent because they take moisture away from the feet. Avoid cotton materials because they absorb moisture and stay wet.
• Gaiters. These are ideal in conditions of pouring rain because they will help keep the bottom part of your feet dry. Some gaiters are breathable and this gives you an additional level of comfort.
• Antiperspirant Sprays. To prevent your feet from sweating profusely, you can use an antiperspirant spray. Some of them can keep your feet warm and dry for more than six hours.
• Air Out Shoes and Feet. During half time or a short break, remove your shoes and socks and air them and your feet out in a warm, dry spot.

Subungual Hematoma – Causes and Treatment

Subungual hematoma refers to a painful condition where blood collects in the space between the fingernail or toenail and the nail bed. It usually results from injury inflicted by a hard and blunt object. The blood collection under the nail causes sharp and severe pain due to the pressure generated.

Causes of Subungual Hematoma

The most common cause of subungual hematoma is crushing the tip of the toe or finger. When you accidentally drop a heavy object on your toe or hit your finger with a blunt object such as a hammer, blood immediately accumulates under the nail. The most visible sign of this condition is the reddish brown discoloration of the nail immediately following the injury.

When to Seek Treatment

Whenever there is pain or the blood collection is more than 50 percent of the area under the nail, then medical attention is needed. A hematoma of 25 percent or less can usually be tended to via home care.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of subungual hematoma can be done through X-ray or nail bed evaluation. An X-ray is usually done to analyze the possibility of fracture to the underlying bone. Nail bed evaluation involves the removal of the nail to check the extent of the injury, blood collection and the possibility of any lacerations on the nail bed.

Treatment

Elevating the injury above the level of the heart and applying ice is the first course of treatment no matter how severe the hematoma. Medical treatment may require draining the blood that has collected under the nail. Before the treatment process starts, the area may be numbed through medication injected in the affected finger or toe. After treatment, a follow up process is recommended where healing is monitored and antibiotics administered if necessary.

4 Common Foot and Ankle Injuries from Playing Baseball

Injuries to the foot and ankle in baseball are more common than you may think. Let’s take a look at four that happen most often.

1. Ankle sprains and fractures
   These types of injuries often occur while running or sliding to base, or fielding balls. If left untreated, these injuries could lead to arthritis or chronic ankle instability. If you suspect a sprain or fracture, go to the doctor for an x-ray and evaluation. In the meantime, you can stabilize this injury at home by rest, ice, compression and elevation – or RICE.
2. Chronic heel pain
   Also known as plantar fasciitis, this injury occurs when the fibrous band of tissue that connects the heel with the arch becomes torn and inflamed. Treatment involves rest, ice and getting shoes with proper arch support. You should begin to feel relief in about six weeks; however, if the pain persists, your doctor may recommend surgery.
3. Peroneal tendinosis
   Peroneal tendons attach the outer part of the mid-foot to the inside arch to maintain foot and ankle stability. Injuries to these tendons will heal with rest in about six weeks, but it may take more for severe cases.
4. Achilles tendinopathy
   Sudden increase in physical activity and over-training in baseball can cause Achilles tendon injuries. The injury can be treated with simple rest, medication, change of shoes, strength training or insertion of heel lifts. The healing process takes between six and nine months. In severe cases, surgery may be required.

To avoid the aforementioned injuries, warm up and stretch before playing, wear proper footwear for the game and take some time off if your feet and ankles bother you after a game. Continuing to play may just further the discomfort into an injury.

 

What is Turf Toe?

Turf toe refers to a sprain that affects the ligaments surrounding the big toe joint. Turf toe usually affects football players, especially those playing on artificial turf. It’s important to note that the condition can affect athletes in many other sports including basketball, soccer, gymnastics, wrestling and dance.

What Causes Turf Toe?

Turf toe is caused when the big toe is suddenly bent beyond its normal limit resulting in hyperextension, such as when a football player is tackled and falls forward fall while the big toe is in a flat position. Turf toe injuries can also be caused by shoes that don’t offer proper foot support.

How to Avoid Turf Toe

Turf toe can be avoided by wearing the correct shoes for the playing surface as well as special inserts designed by a podiatrist, physical therapist or sports medicine specialist. Gait problems have also been associated with turf toe injuries, so correcting gait can also help in preventing turf toe. Developing better training techniques also goes a long way in reducing turf toe risks among athletes.

Turf Toe Treatment

The basic turf toe treatment involves a combination of elevation, rest, ice and compression. In some cases, doctors prescribe over-the-counter oral medication like ibuprofen to reduce inflammation and control pain. Turf toe injuries can also treated using a special walking boot, crutches or a cast to immobilize the foot completely and keep it from moving. It is important to note that turf toe injuries can also be treated through surgery in severe cases.

How to Treat and Avoid Ankle Sprains

The most common cause of a sprained ankle is a fall or a sudden twist. Sometimes a hard blow may cause the joint of the ankle to shift from its normal position and result in a sprain. These injuries typically happen when playing sports, wearing shoes the feet aren’t comfortable in, running and even walking.

Treatment

If you’ve got a sprained ankle, your doctor may prescribe the following treatment options:

• Rest – Take it easy and try not to walk on a sprained ankle.
• Ice – Wrap an ice pack in a thin towel and press it against the injured area for 20 minutes. Wait at least 40 minutes before applying ice again.
• Bandage – In order to reduce swelling and help stabilize, an elastic wrap can be used.
• Elevate – Positioning your ankle higher than your heart will also help alleviate swelling.
• Medicate – Take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, like ibuprofen, for pain relief.
• Therapy – Your doctor will tell you when it’s time to start therapy to get your ankle back to proper working order.
• Surgery – a severe sprain may require surgery, but this will be determined by a doctor and x-rays.

How to Avoid Ankle Sprains

Make sure you warm up properly and completely before participating in a sport or running. If the foot or ankle has a history of injury then use a brace or tape. In addition, make sure the correct shoes are worn and that there is enough support for the ankle. Avoid uneven surfaces whenever possible.

Who Needs a Podiatrist

The human foot is a complex combination of 26 bones, 33 joints, and 126 muscles, ligaments, and nerves. Both feet combined have a total of 52 bones, accounting for about 25% of the bones in the entire human body. But your feet are also one of the most constantly utilized parts of the body: the average person in the United States can take as many as 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day. Moreover, by age 50, the average American has walked 75,000 miles over the course of their lives. With such a high degree of use, it is important to take proper care of your feet. This includes treating your foot pain and having your foot problems treated by the best podiatrist in your area.

Foot pain is a common ailment in the United States. While research shows that women in the United States are estimated to be four times more prone to foot pain than men, it affects many people regardless of gender. Common causes of foot pain include poor fitting shoes, high heeled shoes, and poor posture. Therefore, while you should ask a podiatrist to diagnose your individual issues, an easy first step towards foot pain relief is changing into a better fitting, low-heeled pair of shoes and attempting to improve your posture.

However, foot pain can be caused by a number of different problems and diseases. Arthritis, for example, affects an estimated 40 million Americans every year, causing many of them to experience chronic foot pain. Diabetes can also cause chronic foot pain, as well as swelling and numbness; diabetics should therefore immediately seek out the best podiatrist in their area if they find themselves experiencing foot problems.

So whether you have health problems that can cause foot pain and other issues, or simply are experiencing pain in your feet, seek out a board certified podiatrist to discuss your issues. Don’t live your live in constant pain and discomfort: schedule an appointment with Dr. Titko today.

Why Are Torn Ankle Tendons Common in Overweight Women Over 40?

Torn ankle tendons, sprains and ligament damage tend to be more common in overweight women age 40 or above for several different reasons. First, there is a strong and well-researched connection between tendon injuries and estrogen, specifically that estrogen interferes with the synthesis of collagen and the formation of fibroblasts. In addition, women’s hormones also influence water retention, which can lead to increased swelling and additional pressure around the soft tissue that is located between the ankle tendons. Overweight women over the age of 40 are prone to ligament damage and torn tendons in the ankle due to pressure changes and changes in the tissue repair rate, both of which are the direct result of hormonal fluctuations that women tend to experience as they get closer to menopause.

An increased body weight also puts extra pressure on joints and ligaments. The ankles are responsible for supporting the entire weight of the body, and thus are more prone to injuries and pain as opposed to other weight-bearing areas such as the knees or pelvis.