Tips For Treating Foot Wounds

A wound to your foot can be very painful as your sock and shoe may put pressure on it in addition to the strain of supporting the weight of your body. If you are wanting to allow your wound to heal as quickly as possible, here are some basic wound care tips that may prove useful to you.

Regularly Clean The Wound

Your feet can be particularly prone to becoming dirty, and your wound can easily come into contact with dirt, sweat, and other substances. Not surprisingly, this can make the odds of contracting an infection increase dramatically. Every few hours, you should remove your shoes and socks to thoroughly clean the wound and change its bandage. You might have to carry around first aid supplies with you to do this, but preventing an infection from occurring should be one of your top priorities.

Allow The Wound To Breathe

The environment inside your socks and shoes will be extremely moist. This can reduce the amount of air that the wound gets while also preventing sweat, oil, and other substances from evaporating away from the wound. These factors will combine to create conditions that are ripe for the formation of bacteria. Whenever it is possible, you should remove your shoes and socks.

Seek Medical Care If You Can See Fat Or Muscle, Or If The Wound Fails To Start The Healing Process

Depending on the severity of the wound, professional treatment may be required to close it. This will include the use of stitches to close the wound. Typically, you should seek medical care if you notice that you can see fat, muscle, or bone through the wound. Additionally, wounds that are extremely wide may also need to be stitched to help the wound close itself. Lastly, wounds to the feet will heal relatively quickly for most people, but if your wounds are not improving after several days or appear to be worsening, you should seek professional medical care as soon as possible.

Appreciate That Diabetic Patients Require Special Wound Care For Their Feet

For those with diabetes, foot wounds can be a particularly problematic issue. A side effect of diabetes is that it will reduce the flow of blood. This can be particularly noticeable in the limbs as they are further away from the body. As a result of the reduced blood flow, wounds can take far longer to heal, and they may be more prone to experiencing serious infections. This threat means that diabetes patients with foot wounds will need to be especially careful to avoid complications as their feet may have a higher risk of this problem while also requiring much longer to heal enough for this threat to be mitigated.