Weve all been there ... the horror of finding yourself at the beach and walking across the hottest sand in the world! Ouch!! And as this video illustrates, its extremely entertaining for those watching from a safe vantage point :-) But when you have diabetes walking on hot sand is no laughing matter. In fact, someone with diabetes and nerve damage could easily walk across this hot sand with no absolutely no pain at all … but it doesn’t mean that their feet aren’t getting burnt and severely damaged. As a podiatrist, I’ve seen my fair share of foot burns come through the clinic door during the summer months. Most commonly we see burns caused by sunburn or walking barefoot on hot surfaces (such as sand or concrete). Two of the more unusual summer burns that have walked through the clinic door ... - burns to the bottom of both feet from sitting barefoot in a tin boat all day; and - burns to the top of the feet caused by hot fat dripping off a BBQ. In severe cases burns to the feet CAN be limb threatening and lead to an amputation. Therefore during these warm months, please be aware of potential burn injuries to your feet ... just because you can’t feel the burn happening, doesn’t mean that your feet aren’t getting damaged! My top five tips to prevent / minimise burns to your feet are: 1) NEVER go barefoot – especially when outside; 2) BE sun smart – always apply sunscreen to your feet or wear closed-in shoes; 3) BE aware of potential burn sources such as hot surfaces, fires, BBQs, etc. 4) CHECK your feet every day – remember diabetes means that you may not feel injuries (such as burns) to your feet; AND 5) SEEK medical assistance immediately if you think you might have suffered a burn to your foot – even if it isn’t painful. Lets keep your feet safe this summer - prevention is the best medicine!
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 06:40:00 +0000
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