The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

HAVE you ever wondered what brought on that annoying nail infection or foot pain you can’t seem to get rid of? At a recent Doctors Hospital lecture series centered on podiatry medicine and surgery, Dr Kenneth Kemp gave answers to these questions.

The topics ranged from dermatology, nail disorders and rheumatology, to his top 10 foot and ankle health tips.

Dr Kemp is the medical director and founder of Bahamas Foot and Ankle, the co-founder of Vasyli, Kemp and Co, Deputy Chairman of the Health Professions Council and the Board of Directors for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation.

Dr Kemp opened his lecture with a slide show, giving the audience an podiatry overview, educating them on common conditions when it comes to foot and ankle health.

“Podiatry is a branch of medicine that is dedicated and devoted to the study of the treatment of the lower extremity; specifically looking at foot and ankle disorders,” he said.

“In four years of podiatry medical school, the first year is pretty much exactly like the MD programme, and the second to fourth year is focused specifically on the lower extremity. You do a three- to four-year surgical residency, I did my surgical residency at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York.”

Dr Kemp said students can also participate in a fellowship subspeciality in sports medicine, podopediatrics, dermatology, diabetic foot and wound care, forensic podiatry, reconstructive surgery and rheumatology/gerontology.

One of the common dermatology conditions treated is dermatitis, also called eczema. It is an inflammation of the skin characterised by an itchy erythematous crusty patch, Dr Kemp said.

The diagnosis is based on history, clinical exam and a skin biopsy (in difficult cases). The treatment is: corticosteroids, topical emollients, antihistamines, immunosuppressants and ultraviolet light therapy.

Another common condition is tinea pedis, or athlete’s foot. It is a fungal infection of the foot and is characterised by an itchy, scaly rash.

“This I see over and over again on a daily basis. The treatment is anti-fungal cream and shoe spray; very easy to treat. It usually clears up in about two to three weeks. However, what I tell patients, you can put that on as much as you want, but if you continue to wear the same socks and put on the same shoes, you are just going to continue reinfecting yourself. You have to spray out all of your shoes with an anti-fungal spray and change your socks as often as possible,” said he said.

In regards to rheumatology, Dr Kemp went into detail, explaining the painful form of arthritis called gout. He said this is due to excess uric acid in the blood and tissue. It causes needle-like crystals to form in the joints and commonly affects the big toe joint. It is most common in men.

Unlike a fungal infection of the skin, Dr Kemp said a fungal infection of the nail is actually much more difficult to treat. He said it will take up to a year for a person to see some type of improvement. Three main types of treatment would be: laser therapy, oral or topical antifungal.

“When it comes to ingrown toenails, most of the times in women it is caused by what I call the ‘Beyonc� stilettos’. It is usually caused by overcrowding in the toe box, and what tends to happen is that it pushes on the nail plate and starts to become ingrown. In men, some of them wear their shoe laces not tied, the foot tends to slide forward over and over again and you get the repetitive micro-trauma,” said Dr Kemp.

Dr Kemp’s top 10 foot and ankle health tips include:

1. Don’t ignore foot pain.

2. Inspect feet regularly.

3. Wash feet regularly, especially between toes.

4. Trim toenails straight across.

5. Ensure shoes fit properly (buy shoes later in the day).

6. Wear the right shoe for the right activity.

7. Alternate shoe; don’t wear the same shoes everyday.

8. Avoid walking barefoot.

9. Be careful with home remedies.

10. Diabetics should have annual foot checks.