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Preventing foot infections is the best step toward protecting the health of your feet. A step you can take wit the help of your podiatrist. Any minor foot problem - from corns and calluses to cuts and cracks in your skin can become infected. If left untreated, infections can become life-threatening. However, prompt treatment by your podiatrist can help clear up an infection and restore your foot health.
Minor Infections
If your podiatrist diagnoses a minor infection, you'll be started on an individualized treatment program. The goal is to help the infection heal and keep the infection from spreading.
Treatment
In either of our facilities, one of our podiatrists will clean the infected area. You may be given antibiotics to further combat the infection. You must take the full course of the medication, even if the sore begins to look better; otherwise the infection may continue to spread.
Follow-up
Even with antibiotics and other treatment, infections may take a long time to heal. Be sure to keep all your follow-up appointments so that your podiatrist an monitor your treatment.
Severe Infections
Infections that spread to bones can also travel throughout your foot and up your leg. To clear up a severe infection, your doctor usually recommends surgery at either an outpatient surgery facility or at a hospital as an inpatient. A hospital stay may last a week or longer, depending on the infection's severity and your recovery from surgery.
Surgical Treatment
The goals of surgery are to remove the infection, halt its spread, and save as much of your foot or leg as possible. In addition, expect intravenous antibiotics to help control infection.
Regular wound care after your surgery helps keep your foot free of infection and aids healing. Dressings are changed often usually daily to protect your foot from infection. Also, you may take special medication to help your foot heal more quickly.
Preventing Infections
Preventing foot infections is the best step toward protecting the health of your feet. Even if you don't have symptoms now, they can develop quickly. By following your doctors schedule for regular podiatric exams, you give your doctor the opportunity to monitor the blood flow and feeling in your feet, as well as catch small foot injuries before they develop into larger infections. Your podiatrist teaches you warning signs and foot inspection as well as other foot care tips to help you keep your feet healthy.
Routine foot care helps keep thick and ingrown nails, blisters, corns, calluses, and other skin irritations from developing into ulcers or infections. Your podiatrist is available to answer any questions you may have.
