Posts for tag: west houston

Diabetes affects the lives of nearly 26 million people in the United States. While there is no cure for diabetes, there are steps you can take to keep it in check.
Podiatrists like Drs. Mendicino, Lo and Patel play a key role in helping patients control diabetes to avoid foot-related complications. Warning signs of diabetes in the foot include:
- Skin color changes
- Swelling of the foot or ankle
- Numbness in the feet or toes
- Pain in the legs
- Open sores on the foot that do not heal quickly
- Ingrown and fungal toenails
- Bleeding corns and calluses
- Dry cracks in the skin, especially around the heel
Stay a Step Ahead
Getting ahead of your diabetes is what the Foot & Ankle Institute wants to help you with. Did you know that up 65,000 lower limbs are amputated due to diabetes complications? These could have been avoided with regular visits to a podiatrist.
Regular visits to a podiatrist will lower your risk by up to 85 percent. It also lowers the risk of hospitalizations by 24 percent. As well as regular visits to the podiatrist, there are steps you should take at home too. These foot care tips include:
- Inspecting your feet daily
- Wear thick soft socks, and properly fitted shoes
- Exercise
- Do not go barefoot
- Do not remove calluses, corns and warts by yourself.
See a podiatrist to assist with these issues.
Annual checkups to the podiatrists in West Houston, TX are the best way to be certain that your feet remain healthy. Contact us at (281) 531-4100.

What Does It Mean to Have Flatfeet?
Being flatfooted is when the inside of your foot settles flat on the floor, instead of being supported by an arch. It’s normal to see a baby or young child without arches, but that’s not the case with adults. If an adult has flatfeet that means his/her feet didn’t develop arches after childhood, or the arches have fallen flat due to wear and tear.
Are Flatfeet a Bad Thing?
It’s not necessarily a bad thing. A lot of people have flatfeet, but heel or arch pain may accompany it. Discomfort in the heel or arch, due to a flatfoot, can be agitating, which is why you need to find support.
Supportive Shoes Equal Happy Feet
Minor heel or arch pain can be remedied by a number of solutions:
- Arch supports – orthotic devices may reduce symptoms caused by flatfeet.
- Physical therapy – stretching the Achilles tendon may help with symptoms.
- Comfortable, fitted shoes – supportive, well-fitted shoes are key to foot comfort. They lessen the shock between foot and floor.
Stretching and wearing new shoes won’t work the same for everyone. For that reason, people need to consult with a foot and ankle specialist to understand other treatment options.
Are you experiencing ankle, foot or heel pain? West Houston podiatrists at the Foot & Ankle Institute can help! Call our office today at (281) 531-4100.