Identifying Foot Lumps, Bumps and Bubbles

Typically, a bump or sore spot on a foot tends to be due to some kind of injury, such as a bruise or a swelling or a blister. In some other cases, it can turn out to be a problem associated with using common facilities such as pools (i.e. warts).

However, as one gets older a combination of shoes, wear, age, and aggregated issues can contribute to other reasons for lumps or bumps on one’s feet. When new issues appear that don’t go away after a few days or chronically appear, it’s a good idea to have an examination performed by a podiatrist for a diagnosis.

Searching on the Internet Can Be Confusing

Today, it’s very doable to search for causes of bumps and lumps on feet via the Internet. However, what one finds is far too much information and 50 different possibilities that don’t really give a solid answer. This is why a podiatrist is needed. A foot doctor comes into the issue with a significant amount of experience and can identify an issue much faster based on that training and experience. The average person via the Internet will almost always miss subtle differences that can be glaring and obvious to a medical expert.

Cysts

In some cases, small bumps can appear due to fluid swelling around the joints. These bubbles or blisters come from joint fluid leaking, usually around the ankle. These type of cysts won’t disappear on their own and typically require draining by a medical expert.

Plantar Fibromas

This condition involves a formation of a lump or knot in the foot arch. It’s a reaction to stress and strain in the plantar fascia. The lump itself is not immediately causing pain, but when pressure is put on it with a shoe, then it will be felt as the lump presses inward in the arch. Again, plantar fibromas issues need medical attention to be removed. In some cases custom shoes may be needed. In other cases, a steroid injection treatment may be needed.

Haglund’s Deforming

Appearing as an extension of the back of the heel, this condition is usually attributed to shoes, particularly women’s high heels. The agitation of the shoes creates an outgrowth of the bone in the heel which becomes apparent over time. In some cases the bump is harmless, but in other cases additional treatment can be needed.

Foot Eczema

A skin irritation that tends to flare with stress and health, this condition creates little bubbles of fluid that can be temporarily painful in the immediate area. The bubbles tend to be anywhere from a pencil eraser size to the size of a bean. The fluid drains and the bubbles become a hard patch of skin until if wears off with old skin. Eczema can be treated with prescriptions that help the skin heal back quickly, but the condition doesn’t go away permanently and flares again.

Again, there is a tremendous amount of partial information on the Internet that patients could try to rely on for self-diagnosis, but this can also lead to lot of mistakes that can make issues worse. The best approach is to have a podiatrist professionally examine one’s feet when someone abnormal continues for longer than a week or two or chronically keeps reappearing.