When it comes to the dreaded fungal nail infection, “prevention is easier than cure, so keep your feet dry and clean as much as possible and treat any fungal skin infections quickly,” says Helen, noting that ‘athlete’s foot’ (or tinea pedis) is where most fungal nail infections originate. 

“The most effective cures involve seeing your GP for a prescription drug, or heading to the pharmacy for medicated nail paint,” says Helen. If you want to try a more conservative approach, first make sure you have a fungal infection and not something else. “It will either be a fluffy white patch that appears on top of nails or yellow streaking under the nail,” she says. 

Next, you can use apple cider vinegar soaks for a few minutes every second day (reuse the vinegar until it becomes murky), or tea tree oil which has some effect on reducing fungal infection spread and can be applied directly onto the nail. And be patient: “Fungal nail infections take a long time to go as they need to ‘grow out’ after the infection has stopped being active.”

“Heel pain is a common issue that is often left to the point of being very stressful,” says Helen, noting that this is pain you feel at the base of the heel, just behind the arch. “Often called plantar fasciitis, people really struggle with what we call ‘first step pain,’ which is where it hurts to put your foot down when you first get up and so you need to hobble for the first few steps.” This usually starts out as just a small ache, but people ignore it for so long that they are often struggling to walk by the time they seek help. “Seeing a podiatrist early means we can help you get rid of the problem before it affects your ability to walk,” says Helen.

Given that our feet have about 250,000 sweat glands (producing up to 200ml of perspiration each day), it’s no wonder they can be a bit on the beak sometimes. “The two main things that make our feet smell are sweating, which increases the bacterial load on our skin, or athlete’s foot, which is the most common infection known to humans,” says Helen. For both causes, mild to moderate cases will improve by keeping the feet clean (daily washing with soap) and drying well, particularly between the toes. “For sweaty feet alone, I’ll often prescribe Akileine Green cream, which reduces sweat very well,” she advises.

“Bunions are actually a slow dislocation of the joint of the big toe,” says Dr Helen. “It involves the big toe bone moving towards the lesser toes whilst the bone closer to the ankle that makes up the other half of the joint moves in the opposite direction.”

Unfortunately, most bunions are hereditary and the only way to correct them is surgery. “However, wearing shoes that don’t put pressure on our toes and using soft padding can slow down their development and make them less painful.”

“No,” says Sydney-based podiatrist Charlotte Bodell. “When you have or wear unsupportive shoes like thongs or slippers, the muscles in your arch are not exercised, and so your foot flattens. It might seem like its grown, but really, it’s your foot muscles that are weak.” 

Strengthen them with simple arch crunch exercises: Sit with your foot flat on the floor and scrunch up your toes so you increase your arch. Repeat several times. Follow with single and double calf raises, which help strengthen feet too. And wear structured shoes more often.

Text: bauersyndication.com.au

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