Why You Shouldn’t Neglect an Open Wound on Your Foot
Jun 17, 2024
It’s relatively easy to injure your foot as you’re simply going about your day. You might step on a piece of glass while walking around barefoot in your kitchen or bump your big toe on the foot of your couch and break a nail.
These incidents may cause a small cut that seems negligible. However, a small wound on your foot can quickly become serious, especially when you have an underlying condition that slows the healing process.
Many conditions, ranging from diabetes to chronic venous insufficiency (i.e., poor circulation), impair wound healing on your feet and lower extremities. In such cases, expert wound care — which our podiatry team offers here at South Texas Foot Surgeons, PA, in San Antonio and Kerrville, Texas — becomes a necessity. Here’s why.
Your feet are vulnerable to injury, especially when you walk around without shoes. When you sustain even a minor injury, ignoring it can be a mistake, as it can lead to an infection or worse.
You can get a foot wound from everyday activities, like just walking through your home without shoes. Likewise, wearing shoes that don’t fit properly can create blisters and open sores, and in colder weather, drier skin can crack and bleed, increasing your risk of infection.
If you sustain a foot wound, certain conditions can complicate the healing process. Diabetes, for example, increases your risk of foot ulcers and slows down the healing process due to poor circulation and nerve damage. Similarly, vascular diseases that affect lower extremity blood flow can make it difficult for wounds to heal, increasing the risk of infection.
Ignoring a wound on your foot, no matter how small it is, can lead to serious complications. An open wound gives bacteria and other pathogens easy access to your bloodstream, leading to infection. Simply put, a cut on your foot can turn into a life-threatening situation without proper care. Risks associated with untreated, slow-healing foot wounds include:
The most immediate risk of leaving a foot wound unattended is developing an infection in the wound. Signs of infection include redness, swelling, increased pain, and pus or discharge.
Cellulitis is an infection of the skin that occurs when the infection from an open wound spreads to your epidermal tissues. It causes redness, swelling, and pain that extend beyond the wound itself.
If an infection goes untreated for too long, it can eventually spread to nearby bone tissue, leading to a complex, hard-to-treat condition known as osteomyelitis.
In the worst case scenario, especially in people with chronic conditions that affect lower extremity blood flow, the tissues around an infected, non-healing wound can begin to die. This condition, known as gangrene, can lead to amputation — and possibly death — without prompt specialist intervention.
When you sustain a foot wound, gently clean it with water and mild soap to remove dirt. Don’t use any harsh chemicals like hydrogen peroxide, as they can damage your skin. Instead, apply a thin layer of an over-the-counter antibiotic gel to reduce your risk of infection.
Cover the wound with a clean bandage to protect it from contamination. Change the dressing once a day, or any time it becomes wet or soiled. Keep an eye out for signs of infection.
If you have a foot wound that doesn’t improve within a few days or seems to be infected — or if you have a condition that impairs healing, like diabetes — it’s crucial to seek expert wound care as soon as possible.
Neglecting an open wound on your foot can lead to serious health complications, ranging from infection to gangrene. At South Texas Foot Surgeons, PA, we provide comprehensive wound care to avoid these complications. Call or click online to schedule an appointment today.