Foot Care

Any kind of wound can cause infections on your feet. A callus or a corn might get a crack in it and then become infected. Bacteria can build up under your toenails from constant moisture and unclean habits and become infected also. Ingrown toenails, cracked skin, dirt, and many other things factor in to getting infections in your feet.

Complications from diseases like diabetes can cause infections and even hinder them because the person that is infected might not even know it's there. If you have any of these complications, there are certain signs to look for when looking for infection.
Redness around the area is a big sign that there may an infection. If you have something like an ingrown toenail, it would be red around the nail bed or where the toenail is pushing into the soft tissue that surrounds it. It can also be painful, ranging in intensity depending on location and severity. If it is already severely infected you might find the area swollen, draining clear fluid, or oozing pus. Non infected wounds will heal on their own while infected wounds may not. Scabs that form over a cut or sore on your foot are a good sign, but the wound becoming enlarged or a scab that seems soft and not attached with a very moist wound underneath is a sign of infection that may need treatment by a physician.

Even more severe infections may spread to other parts of the body, including being carried through your bloodstream. If there is ever a time where a sore on your foot becomes infected, and it is accompanied by fever or chills, nausea or vomiting see a doctor immediately. Believe it or not, a sore way down on your foot can cause your whole body to become out of sorts.

If you see that you have an infection and decide to see a physician, there are several avenues to take depending on your severity. You might be given antibiotics to take, and in most cases, this is almost definite. This prevents any further infections that might occur. In addition you would get treatment in the office, perhaps a cleaning and professional dressing or removal of the major part of the infection. They will then send you home with instructions on how to clean the wound yourself and order you to purchase the supplies to do so. Upon following up the next week, you may be healed and finished. Unfortunately, infections can get so bad that they may need to be surgically removed, and in that case the main goal of the surgery is to save as much of the foot as possible and halt the infection altogether.

In the end, it is better to treat an infection than to let it try and heal on it's own. Of the best ways to treat an infection is to prevent it in the first place. Keep your feet clean and dry, and if you have complications from other disorders, especially diabetes, check your legs and feet daily for sores or new ulcers. Ulceration can be a signal of infection and needs to be treated by a doctor. Take any antibiotics that the doctor gives you until they are all gone and follow any other instructions that he gives you to a tee so that your infected wound will heal properly. Elevating and soaking might also relieve any pain that you experience when dealing with it but do not do so against your doctor's wishes.