The Millstone Times July 2018

HEALTH 

 WELLNESS

&

Complete Family Foot & Ankle Care

QUESTION: What can I do to protect my feet this summer? ANSWER:

Dr. Sanjay Gandhi, DPM

Wear shoes to protect your feet from puncture wounds and cuts caused by seashells, broken glass and other sharp objects. Don’t go in the water if your skin gets cut—bacteria in oceans and lakes can cause infection. A puncture wound should be treated by a foot and ankle surgeon within 24 hours to avoid complications. Remember that a jellyfish washed up on the beach can still sting if you step on it. If their tentacles stick to the foot or ankle, remove them, but protect your hands from getting stung too. Vinegar, meat tenderizer or baking soda reduce pain and swelling. Feet get sunburn too. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to the tops and bottoms of your feet. Sand, sidewalks and paved surfaces get hot in the summer sun. Wear shoes to protect your soles from getting burned, especially if you are living with diabetes. People who are living with diabetes face serious foot safety risks at the beach. The disease causes poor blood circulation and numbness in the feet. A person living with diabetes may not feel pain from a cut, puncture wound or burn. Any type of skin break on a diabetic foot has the potential to get infected and ulcerate if it isn’t noticed right away. People living with diabetes should always wear shoes to the beach and remove them regularly to check for foreign objects like sand and shells that can cause sores, ulcers and infections.

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