There’s hope for your feet just in time for sandal weather. Follow these suggestions from top podiatrists so you can fix your feet issues once and for all.
Athlete’s Foot
Identify it: Expect dry, cracked skin that peels off the bottom of your foot and in between your toes, says Brian Fullem, D.P.M., a sports podiatrist and author of The Runner’s Guide to Healthy Feet and Ankles. These areas become extremely itchy, and in serious cases, you may develop blisters filled with clear fluid.
The cause: A fungus called tinea pedis, says Meredith Ward, D.P.M., a podiatrist at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, Conn. Your sweaty socks are often to blame, since fungus requires darkness, warmth, and moisture to thrive, says Dr. Fullem.
Related: 4 weird causes of Athlete’s Foot
The fix: Try over-the-counter antifungal treatments like Lotrisone or Tinactin twice a day. Soaking your feet in warm water can feel soothing, and also help with the itching, notes Ward.
If you don’t see improvements after a week, see your doctor: You may need a prescription-strength antifungal cream, or an antibiotic if a bacterial infection developed in your cracked skin.
Bunion
Identify it: A large, bony bump that forms on the outside of your big toe joint. Your big toe looks like it’s moving toward your smaller toes.
The cause: Mainly genetic, but too-tight shoes may play a small role, says Fullem. Some researchers believe shoes that are too small will push your big toes toward the second toe, and your foot may adapt to that position, he says.
The fix: The simplest treatment is a toe spacer, placed between your big toe and second toe, which tries to fight the adapted—and incorrect—position of the big toe, says Ward. Wider shoes can also help alleviate pain and pressure.
But if the bunion is painful, you can’t move your big toe, or you can’t wear most shoes, ask your doctor about surgical options, says Ward. This may require bones to be cut and shifted, which could take 6 weeks to heal.
Depending on the type of procedure, you may be off your foot for this amount of time. But some procedures allow you to weight bear immediately.
Hammertoe/Claw Toe
Identify it: A hammertoe is a contracture, or bending, at one of the two joints in your four smaller toes, while a claw toe is a contracture at both joints, says Fullem. As a result, the area around the joint will look like it’s sticking up.
The cause: Having flat feet or very high arches can lead to hammertoes and claw toes, says Ward.
With high arches or flat feet, the tendons on the top and the bottoms of your toes become overpowered by either the muscles in the foot, or the muscles of the lower leg.
As a result, the toes will buckle, or become hammered, she says. Wearing tight shoes can make the symptoms worse, making your feet and toes hurt.
Related: The best running shoes for men
The fix: Look for shoes with a deeper toe box to avoid pressure on the tops of your toes, which can cause pain, says Fullem.
Placing a silicone pad or sleeve over the contracted joints can help, too — it prevents your toes from rubbing up against the top of shoes, says Ward.
If hammertoes are painful or make it too difficult to wear shoes, surgical options like bone removal may be a last-resort option.
Plantar’s Warts
Identify it: Hard, grainy growths on the bottom of your feet that might have black dots in them.
The cause: A strain of the human papilloma virus (HPV) seeped into your skin from moist areas such as showers, wet floors, and outdoors.
The fix: Soak the foot to soften the wart, and then apply an OTC wart treatment that contains salicylic acid to the lesion. Anti-inflammatory meds can help with the pain, says Ward.
If the warts don’t respond to OTC treatment, become very painful, or grow larger, see a podiatrist: You may need a prescription-strength ointment, or a treatment like cryotherapy, where a doctor destroys the wart by freezing it with liquid nitrogen.
Related: How to rid yourself of warts, blisters, hangnails (and more) faster
Gout
Identify it: A hot, red, swollen big toe or ankle joint that occurs without trauma.
The cause: Gout results from the body’s inability to process uric acid — a waste product created when your body breaks down natural substances called purines. These compounds can be found in your body, and are also in food and drink like meats, seafood, and alcoholic beverages.
Too much uric acid can lead to inflammation and swelling. Both diet and genetics can play a role.
The fix: At the first signs of goat, see your doctor. Too many attacks in the same area can cause your cartilage to degenerate, which can leave you with a painful arthritic joint, says Fullem. That can make any movement painful.
Your doctor may prescribe a prescription medicine called Colchicine, which decreases the build-up of uric acid, he says. You may also try to cut back on foods like red meat and seafood, which can lead to higher levels of uric acid.
Soaking the area in warm water and Epson salts can reduce pain and inflammation as well.
Ingrown Toenails
Identify it: Painful, swollen, tender edges of your toenails, most commonly on your big toes, says Ward.
The cause: A piece of a nail grew into the skin folds, and irritated the tissue, she says. This may occur from lack of trimming, or improper trimming.
The fix: Soak your feet in warm water with Epsom salts — this is to help relieve the pain and help soften the nail plate and skin folds that are irritated from the ingrowing nail, Ward says.
And make sure to trim your nails straight across. Trimming the nails in a curved shape can cause the nail to continue to grow into the skin, Ward says.
Related: 9 nail problems you shouldn’t ignore
If your ingrown toenail doesn’t improve—or you develop signs of an infection like redness or pus—see your doctor. He or she may lift the nail or remove it, and prescribe an antibiotic if necessary.
Toenail Fungus
Identify it: Thick, yellow, and brittle nails that may be loose.
The cause: Fungus infiltrated the skin under your nail.
The fix: Unfortunately, toenail fungus is hard to treat because the fungus is in the skin under your nail—and topical OTC medications don’t penetrate through the nail, says Fullem. An oral version of the prescription medicine Lamisil is one of the most effective treatments, but it can elevate your liver enzymes.
So see your doctor: He or she may prescribe the topical medicine Jubilia, or recommend laser treatments — though those aren’t covered by insurance.