Also, if a patient has medical conditions, such as diabetes or poor circulation, I recommend that they have their feet checked regularly by a podiatrist. Fungal toenails will be thicker, brittle, and discolored. A lot of times, there will be dry skin around the nails or the bottom of the feet, which does not respond to regular moisturizer. I treat fungus toenails, or onychomycosis, with a course of oral antifungal medication, thinning the nail plate, removing the nail plate, or a combination of therapies. Just as your eyes and nose are inherited, to a certain extent, foot type is inherited.
Bunions are hereditary, but they can get aggravated when trendy shoes and heels are worn.
When I see a teenager with bunions, I know that her mother and grandmother have this problem too. It is essential that wide, soft leather shoes be worn to avoid irritation to the area around the first metatarsal. I try to determine the cause behind the bunion in order to be able to control or correct it. Often I will surgically correct the bony deformity and educate the patient for early detection in children. A plantar wart is a benign tumor that is caused by a virus.