If you have never needed any foot treatments until now, then you must be nervous about your first podiatrist appointment in Singapore. It may seem like a scary thing, especially if you have to do it alone. Well, there is nothing to worry about because the staff and physicians that you will find in the clinic are there to help you out. They are trained professionals that are equipped with knowledge and experience to address the pain that you are feeling on the lower extremities of your body, specifically your feet! It includes the day-to-day foot problems that you experience such as:
- Ingrown nails
- Athlete’s foot
- Flat feet
- Heel pain
- Bunions
- Gout
- Corns and calluses
- Blisters
- Sport injuries
When you see your foot problems in this list, then you should not delay your appointment in a reputable podiatry centre in Singapore! They will give you a proper diagnosis and lay down an effective treatment plan to eliminate any discomfort that you are feeling. It will range from prescribing foot insoles to surgical procedures.
Here is how you can prepare for your first consultation with a podiatrist.
Record your symptoms
The first signs of itching and peeling of your feet should have alarmed you, especially when it had already spread to other parts of your toes or even your body. These are the first signs of an athlete’s foot. Following those symptoms is the development of cracks in your heels, which you may have ignored. Well, these are essential information that you should take into consideration since it will help your podiatrist identify your condition. Create a list of your symptoms to help them further and make your diagnosis accurate. You may include the dates and how many days has it been since you started noticing the pain and discomfort. It will help them identify the stage of your fungal infection.
List your current medications
Have you tried drinking over-the-counter medications to alleviate some of the pain of your growing bunions? If so, then you should take note of the painkillers you have been consuming since you will not want to mix chemicals that are not compatible with each other. Your visit to the podiatry clinic will let you know the most effective medications that you can have to eliminate the pain you are experiencing. Expect that they will also prescribe you to wear custom-made shoe inserts that can aid in straightening your big toes bump. If that did not help, then they may recommend that you get surgery to remove the painful bump that had grown on your big toe.
Bring essential medical records
Singapore’s fast-paced lifestyle has forced citizens to walk or run for long periods to catch a bus or a train. If you are one of those people, then you are bound to visit a podiatry clinic once in your life. The reason for that is you have developed a case of plantar fasciitis. People who run for sports are the usual victims of this condition since they participate in activities that repetitively stress the heels of their feet. It is an inflammatory condition that occurs when the ligament that supports your foot’s arch can no longer carry your weight and keep up with your activities. One of the ways to treat this can range from at-home treatments to steroid injections. Thus, it will help if you bring your annual check-up result or maybe a recent x-ray and MRIs of your feet from a recent visit from a hospital to ensure that your body can handle the treatments.
Wear comfortable shoes
You do not want to amplify your pain further by wearing the cramped or wrong-sized shoes that have caused the development of your ingrown nails on your way to the podiatrist. Before you go out, remember to wash your feet thoroughly with antibacterial soap so that they are clean when you show them to your doctor. They will carefully inspect your toenails and ask you if you have a family history of ingrown toenails. Remember to be honest when you answer their questions so they can indicate if there is an infection present. Tell them if you have been cutting your nails in a rounded pattern or you frequently wear shoes that have a pointy tip. These details will help them address what you need to stop doing to prevent your ingrown nails from happening again.
Ask a friend or your family to come with you
It is helpful to have someone to come with you during your appointment. You might be in a condition wherein you cannot walk at a normal pace then it is all more reason to let someone assist you. Let them sit-in with your consultation so that they can take notes and listen to what the doctor has to say about your condition. One of those may include a series of tests that you need to take to finalise your diagnosis. They can also list the medications that your doctor prescribes since your full attention may be on what they say about your condition. If you value your privacy when you are with a doctor, then you can ask them to wait outside. However, you should allow them to drive you to the podiatry centre and drive you home. You do not want to get caught in an accident before and after your appointment.
Where to get your podiatry consultation?
As mentioned podiatrist is trained and qualified foot experts whose main concern is to restore the overall wellness of your feet! The challenge is where to find a trustworthy one to ensure that you get the best treatment among all the other podiatry clinics in Singapore. Trust the foot doctors of ECPC! They have a team of multi-lingual podiatrists that bridges the gap between two people who speak different languages. More than that, they are determined to give you the professional care and treatment that you need according to your foot problem.
Visit their website to book an appointment today!
