Athletes Foot
Athlete’s foot is an extremely contagious infection caused by a fungus that results in itching, burning, dry, and flaking feet. The fungus that causes Athlete’s foot is known as tinea pedis and thrives in moist, dark areas such as shower floors, gyms, socks and shoes, commons areas, public changing areas, bathrooms, dormitory style houses, locker rooms, and public swimming pools. Athlete’s foot is difficult to treat as well because of the highly contagious and recurrent nature of the fungus.
Chilblains
Chilblains (also called pernio) are small itchy, red (and sometimes purple) swellings on the skin, which can become increasingly painful, swell and dry out leaving cracks in the skin that expose the foot to the risk of infection. They occur on the toes (particularly the smaller ones), fingers, the face (especially the nose) and the lobes of the ears. They can also occur on areas of the feet exposed to pressure, for instance on a bunion or where the second toe is squeezed by tight shoes. They can also lead to blisters and break down to become a small ulcer prone to infection.
Corns
Corns are thickened areas on the skin’s surface, to the point of being irritating and sometimes painful. Commonly found on the feet, corns are circular or cone-shaped and develop where there are areas of pressure or friction, such as on the little toe when it rubs up against shoes or on the ball of your foot.
Fungal nails
Toenail fungus is a condition that many people develop and suffer from. Toenail fungus often results in the discoloration and thickening of the toenail, which can cause embarrassment for many people. The condition begins as a small white or yellow growth beneath the tip of the nail and at its worse can develop into the nail’s deterioration.
Callus
Callus is an extended area of thickened, hard skin on the sole of the foot. It is usually symptomatic of an underlying problem such as a bony deformity, a particular style of walking or inappropriate footwear. Some people have a natural tendency to form callus because of their skin type. Elderly people have less fatty tissue in their skin and this can lead to callus forming on the ball of the foot.
Diabetes
Diabetes affects millions of people every year. Blood vessels located all over the body are damaged due to diabetes—even the blood vessels of the feet. Neuropathy, or nerve damage, can result from slower blood flow in the legs and feet. In diabetic patients neuropathy is very important to monitor, as diabetics are at risk for developing ulcers.
Verrucas
A verruca is a small skin lesion which is commonly found on the bottom surface of the foot. The lesion is normally about 1cm in diameter but can often be larger. All verruca are caused by the human papilloma virus. This is common in all environments but does not readily attack the skin.If there is a break, scratch or Excessive moisture or excessive dryness of the skin can lead to small crack in the skin which allows the virus to enter the skin.