Bryn Mawr Hospital Wound Healing Center Stresses the Importance of Proper Foot Care in Summer Months

Friday, May 01, 2009

(Bryn Mawr, Pa.)—As the days grow longer and temperatures rise, more people head outside to enjoy the beauty of spring and the dawn of summer. Although it may be tempting to walk barefoot in the grass or sand, you may want to reconsider if you are one of the 25 million Americans with diabetes.

Individuals with diabetes have a greater risk for developing a condition called neuropathy, or nerve damage, one of the most common complications of diabetes. It develops gradually, usually in the feet, and results in numbness and the loss of the protective sensation that signals pain in body extremities. Neuropathy often goes undetected.

“We can’t stress enough how important it is to wear shoes at all times if you have diabetes,” said Dr. James Zaccaria, a wound specialist at the Bryn Mawr Hospital Wound Healing Center. “I’ve heard countless stories about people with diabetes stepping on glass, stones, or other sharp objects and not even knowing it because they have limited sensation in their feet.”

If untreated, an injury as minor as a small cut or blister can become a serious wound resulting in chronic infection, gangrene and possibly amputation. Something as easy as using a mirror to check the bottoms of feet for small cracks or cuts could help make the difference in early treatment.

Dr. Zaccaria recommends people with diabetes adhere to some of these basic guidelines to keep feet injury-free this spring and summer:

Never go barefoot indoors or outdoors
Wear comfortable, well fitting shoes, and avoid open-toe shoes and sandals
Always wear seamless socks or stockings with shoes
Avoid exposing feet to extreme heat by not walking barefoot on hot pavement or sand, and wear sunscreen to protect feet from the sun
When grooming toenails, trim them straight across. Gently round the corners with a fine emery board or pumice stone. Consult a physician or podiatrist if a corn or callus should be removed
Use moisturizing lotion to lubricate excessively dry feet.

The Wound Healing Center considers a chronic nonhealing wound to be one that has not demonstrated notable improvement after four weeks, or has not healed after a period of eight weeks.

Please call 484-337-8820 for more information about the comprehensive treatment available at the Bryn Mawr Hospital Wound Healing Center.

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