Our Skilled Podiatrists Explain When to Seek Medical Attention for Foot Wound Care
Some people may prefer to manage minor foot wounds at home, instead of seeing a doctor. But diagnosing and treating your foot wound at home can have serious and lasting consequences. Patients with diabetes are at a higher risk for foot wound infections, but those who suffer from other medical conditions or have no medical problems at all still should have their foot wounds checked by an experienced foot doctor. 
At Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists, our award-winning central Texas podiatrists treat a wide range of foot and ankle issues. Here, we discuss foot wounds, why you shouldn’t address them at home, and how we treat them at our office.
Causes of Foot Wounds
There are many ways people develop foot wounds:
- Friction between the foot and shoe or sock—particularly if your shoes don’t fit properly
- Traumatic injuries
- Cellulitis
- Irregular gait
- Toe or foot deformities
- Poor circulation
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Surgical incisions that didn’t heal properly
Caring for Foot Wounds at Home
The podiatrists at Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists don’t recommend treating a foot wound on your own. Performing “bathroom surgery” on even a minor injury or wound can cause infections and complications. However, if you’re reluctant or hesitant to seek medical help and choose to first handle the wound on your own, you should take the following steps:
- Take a photo of the wound so you have a point of reference later—in case your foot injury gets worse. This may help your podiatrist if you seek medical attention.
- Wash your hands with soap and water before and after touching the injury or wound.
- Wash the wound with mild soap and water.
- Dry it and apply an antibiotic ointment.
- Cover it with a bandage.
- Keep the area clean and dry.
- Change the bandage daily.
- Wear breathable shoes that will reduce the sweat on your feet.
- Choose open-toed shoes or change your socks frequently if your feet are prone to sweating.
- Inspect the wound every day to ensure that it’s healing.
Reasons Not to Use Epsom Salt
It’s important to talk to your podiatrist about using Epsom salt on your foot wound or ulcer. While there are some benefits, there are also risks. One, if you’re a patient with diabetes and have reduced sensation in your feet, soaking your foot in hot water can cause burns, and you may not feel them. Two, the magnesium sulfate in the salt can dry out the skin on your feet. This can cause cracks, cuts, or irritation that can allow the bacteria from your foot wound to enter your bloodstream.
Signs Your Foot Wound Requires Professional Medical Attention
It’s important to know when to see a podiatrist for a foot wound. Although you should get medical care as soon as you develop one, there are signs to look for if you’re treating your wound at home. These include the following:
- If the wound does not seem to be healing
- If there is drainage or blood on your shoes or socks
- If the area remains swollen or warm to the touch even several days later
- If the amount of pain you’re experiencing is not improving over time
- If there are signs of infection, such as pus, bleeding, redness, swelling, inflammation around the skin, or a foul order
- If you’re having trouble bearing weight on your foot or walking
- If the wound is growing in size rather than shrinking.
- If there is skin or nail discoloration
- If you’ve developed a fever or chills
If you’re a patient with diabetes, you should never wait to seek medical attention for a foot wound. Make an appointment with a podiatrist right away. It’s likely the wound will not heal properly on its own, and even a minor injury could become dangerous very quickly. Additionally, if you have peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage) or reduced circulation, even if you do not have diabetes, you should seek medical care for foot injuries.
If you ignore a foot wound and it’s not treated, especially at an early stage, it can become infected. That infection may spread to surrounding tissue and bones and require more rigorous treatment, such as antibiotics, hospitalization, and in some cases, amputation. When you address a foot ulcer or wound early, it’s much easier to treat, and you are likely to have a much better outcome.
Potential Consequences of Not Getting Professional Treatment for Foot Wounds
If your wound needs medical attention, it’s important to talk to a podiatrist right away. Your health and mobility could be in danger from any of the following conditions or situations:
- Abscesses
- Bone infection
- Sepsis
- Deformities
- Gangrene
- Cellulitis
- A missed opportunity to diagnose an underlying condition quickly and avoid further complications from it
- Need for an otherwise avoidable amputation
Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists Provide Excellent Foot Wound Treatment
Our podiatrists continuously receive advanced training to treat foot wounds, using a combination of traditional and state-of-the-art equipment and techniques, including the following:
- Debridement. This treatment removes dead skin and contaminants from a wound to help it heal.
- Offloading. This type of treatment requires a patient to use crutches, a boot, a wheelchair, or other equipment to keep their weight and pressure off of the injured foot.
- Antibiotics. These prescription medications can help fight infection.
- Amniotic fluids and grafts. These treatments use cells and growth factors from ethically derived amniotic tissues.
- DermaClose. This is a continuous application of force to bring the skin together.
While our foot doctors are skilled at treating foot wounds, they’d rather help you prevent them. Foot wounds can often be avoided or allowed to heal on their own when patients do the following:
- Utilize orthotics
- Wear specialized socks and shoes
- Make dietary choices to keep their blood sugar and weight at healthy levels
- Engage in moderate exercise regularly
- Manage underlying medical conditions and keep appointments with relevant specialists who help to manage those diagnoses
- Avoid nicotine and alcohol
- Examine their feet daily for injuries and wounds
- Have regular appointments with their podiatrist to ensure that foot problems are detected as quickly as possible for optimal recovery
