Items filtered by date: May 2019

Wednesday, 29 May 2019 12:10

5 Best Practices for Older Patients

At Superior Foot & Ankle Care Center, we take care of the feet of patients of all ages. This month—Older Americans Month—we want to offer some information for taking good care of senior feet. While it’s true that some conditions are more likely to occur with age, there are still many ways to prevent disabling problems and ensure that your golden years remain active. Below are 5 tips for better foot health for older patients:

  1. Keep feet clean and dry. Wash feet every day with warm soapy water and dry completely. If you tend to sweat excessively, use an anti-fungal powder each morning and change your socks as soon as you notice that they feel damp. This will go a long way in preventing athlete’s foot and other fungal infections.
  2. Inspect your feet weekly. Look for changes in shape, color of skin and toenails, lumps or growths, rashes, bruising and swelling. Report anything that seems abnormal to our podiatrists, Victoria M. Foley or Dr. Constance Ornelas so they can evaluate your feet and determine if a condition exists that needs treatment.
  3. Maintain good circulation. This means not smoking and avoiding standing or sitting—especially with your legs crossed– in one position for a prolonged period of time. Don’t wear tight hose and socks.
  4. Move it along. Exercise will also help with circulation. In addition, it will keep feet and ankles flexible, maintain good range of motion and control weight.
  5. Buy good shoes. Roomy toe boxes, soft and flexible materials and a proper fit will help you avoid many common foot problems. Forgo heels that are higher than two inches and rotate your shoes from day to day.

Don’t put off making an appointment if you are experiencing foot pain or discomfort. This leads to an increase risk of falls and the chance that your condition will worsen and require more invasive treatment. Contact our Long Beach office today for an appointment by calling: (562) 420-9800.

Wednesday, 22 May 2019 12:09

Stress Fractures May Signal Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis causes a bone fracture in one out of every two women and one out of every four men over the age of 50. Since May is National Osteoporosis Month, we at Superior Foot & Ankle Care Center think this is a good time to talk about this disease, which can have a big impact on the health of your feet.

Although stress fractures can occur due to trauma, accidents or overuse from an exercise or sport, they can also be the sign of weak bones.

What Causes Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis occurs when you lose too much bone, make too little bone or both. Many patients don’t realize that bone is living tissue that is constantly being torn down and built up. There are many conditions and factors that can result in loss of bone strength. These include:

  • Age—your risk increases over the age of 50
  • Sex—women have a higher risk, particularly post-menopausal women
  • Ethnicity—Latinos, Asian Americans and African Americans are more at risk
  • Disease—osteoporosis is often associated with other disease, such as diabetes, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis
  • Family history of osteoporosis

If you are experiencing symptoms such as pain, tenderness, swelling, bruising or difficulty bearing weight on the affected foot, it’s important that you not put off getting these symptoms evaluated. Make an appointment at our Long Beach office so that our podiatrists, Dr. Victoria M. Foley or Dr. Constance Ornelas can examine your foot and diagnose the problem and its cause. The foot doctor can help determine your personal risk for osteoporosis and whether or not bone density or other tests should be ordered at this time.

Making Choices for Healthy Bones

Fortunately, there are many ways you can help increase bone strength and lower your risk for fractures, such as:

  • Get enough calcium—know how much you should be getting each day and increase your intake of s of yogurt, milk, cheese, leafy greens and other foods that are high in this nutrient. Be sure to also get adequate amounts of vitamin D as this is essential for body to absorb calcium properly.
  • Exercise regularly—weight-bearing and muscle strengthening build stronger bones. In general, being active can reduce your risk for decreased bone strength.
  • Don’t smoke.
  • Fall-proof your home inside and out.

Being educated is your best defense against osteoporosis. Have more questions? Contact us at: (562) 420-9800.

Thursday, 16 May 2019 12:07

A Beautiful Pedicure in 8 Easy Steps

At Superior Foot & Ankle Care Center we know that many of our patients enjoy getting professional pedicures but recent stories in the news about fungal and bacterial infections lurking at some salons may leave you feeling hesitant. If you don’t have a salon you trust to follow proper sanitizing procedures, we want you to know that you can give yourself a relaxing and pretty pedicure at home. Here’s how:

  1. First remove any old nail polish using cotton balls and nail polish remover.
  2. Fill a small tub with warm, soapy water and soak your feet for 5-10 minutes. Use a nail brush to gently scrub toenails and then rinse feet with clear water and dry.
  3. Rub a pumice stone or foot file on rough areas of the foot such as the heel and ball. This will exfoliate dead skin and help smooth calluses. If you have large or deep calluses or corns, make an appointment at our Long Beach office and let our podiatrists, Victoria M. Foley or Dr. Constance Ornelas safely remove or trim them.
  4. Trim toenails straight across and not too short. File the edges with an emery board. Do not curve the edges downward as this can lead to ingrown toenails.
  5. Gently push back your cuticles with an orange stick. Cuticles that extend from the nail margins can be trimmed using a cuticle trimmer. Do not cut so close that they bleed.
  6. Apply moisturizer to the cuticles and then the rest of your feet. Give yourself a soothing foot massage, using your fist to rub the balls of your feet and heel. Massage the top of your foot and your toes as well. You can also roll your feet on a bottle or rolling pin.
  7. Remove excess lotion from toenails with nail polish remover.

Brush on a base coat, then two coats of your favorite color and a top coat. Put your feet up and allow time for nails to dry completely. Enjoy!

Wednesday, 08 May 2019 12:03

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month

Did you know that over 5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year? In fact, it’s the most common kind of cancer. At Superior Foot & Ankle Care Center we want to draw attention to this condition because, while the skin on your feet is just as susceptible as that on the rest of your body, many patients don’t think of their feet as a possible site for skin cancer.

Protect and Detect

The good news is that skin cancer is also one of the most preventable forms of cancer. It’s estimated that nearly 90% of nonmelanoma skin cancers and 85% of melanomas are caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. There are some simple ways you can greatly reduce or eliminate your risk of danger from the sun’s rays:

  • Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays and that has an SPF of 15 (30 is even better if you will be out for a long period of time). Use sunscreen on your feet even if you will just be out for a day of shopping and are wearing sandals or other open-style shoes that expose the skin on your feet.
  • At the beach or pool, apply sunscreen to the tops and bottoms of your feet. Reapply every two hours and after swimming or excessive sweating.
  • Never use UV tanning beds.
  • Try to avoid the sun when it is at its strongest: between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

One of the most important ways to protect yourself is by conducting regular self-exams of your skin. For your feet, this means examining both the tops and bottoms. Be sure to also take the time to look between your toes. If you have any moles or freckles, note any changes in them. It’s helpful to remember the ABCD method of evaluating skin spots. Danger signs include:

A—asymmetrical shape

B—borders that are uneven

C—colors that are mottled or multiple colors in one mole

D—diameter larger than ¼ inch (about the size of a pencil eraser)

If you notice anything suspicious looking on the skin of your feet, contact our Long Beach office (562-420-9800) for an appointment so that our podiatrists, Dr. Victoria M. Foley or Dr. Constance Ornelas can examine your examine your feet and determine if further testing or evaluation is needed.

Wednesday, 01 May 2019 12:02

Mow Your Lawn, Not Your Feet!

Did you know that each year it’s estimated that over 35,000 injuries occur while mowing the lawn? At Superior Foot & Ankle Care Center we care about your feet and want to help you protect them. Most podiatric mower injuries can be prevented with common sense and a few precautions.

Start Safely

Have your mower serviced at least once a year to ensure safe operation. If you have purchased a new mower, be sure to read the direction manually carefully before using the mower for the first time. Do not mow your lawn when you are sick or extremely tired.

Take Precautions

Start with the right attire: wear long pants and work boots or other shoes made of sturdy material. Don’t mow wearing flip flops, sandals or open toed shoes and—hard as it is to believe that anyone would—never mow barefoot. Pick up sticks, rocks and toys before mowing.

Avoid Not-Smart Moves

There are several choices that will help you avoid injury:

  • Don’t mow a lawn when it’s wet
  • Mow steep slopes slowly from side to side, not up and down
  • Don’t pull a mower backwards while it is running

Keep Kids Safe

Lawn mowers are often like magnets for children. Make sure you set firm rules with your children so that they know not to come out to you on the lawn while you are mowing. Never give children rides on the mower. Keep the clip bag attached to the mower to avoid objects being picked up and shot out like projectiles while children are playing nearby.

Make sure that if you do get even a minor cut from the mower blades that you stop immediately and clean the area completely and apply an antibiotic ointment. If the cut appears not to be healing or gets warm, red around the edges or starts oozing, contact our Long Beach office immediately by calling: (562) 420-9800. Our podiatrists, Dr. Victoria M. Foley or Dr. Constance Ornelas will want to check your foot and see if an infection has developed.

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