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Foot Infections Guide

Info_lover | May 3, 2010 |

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A foot infection occurs when germs, bacteria or fungi enter an opening in a foot and then multiply and cause damage to the surrounding tissue. In other words, there needs to be presence of a break or cut in the skin or an ulcer. The foot is a perfect environment for bacteria to live in. When there are foot infections and the condition worsens, bacteria or other pathogens can spread and eat through layers of skin and bone tissue. If the infection becomes too widespread, amputation may be required.

Not every wound will get infected, but the longer a wound remains unhealed the greater the chance of developing an infection. People with diabetes are more prone to developing diabetic food infections, whereas sportsmen or sportswomen can have athletes foot infection at times. Among the population, fungal foot infections are common but can be treated easily. Sometimes antibiotics and wound care is all that are necessary for treatment. In more serious or advanced infections, surgical procedures and treatment may be necessary.

Symptoms and signs of foot infections

There are negative signs that happen with worsening infection. In the early stage of infection, the changes will mostly be in the foot. As the infection spreads and worsens, changes will start to occur throughout the body. Persons with diabetes should check their feet daily to prevent diabetic foot infection. Warning signs of a foot infection include fever, redness, swelling, warmth around the wound, pain and any sort of drainage or oozing of pus-like material.

Checking for signs of an infection in foot

Diabetes patients should monitor and check their feet daily for any signs of diabetic foot infections. Compare both feet to see if one foot is more swollen or warmer than the other. The best way to compare temperature of the feet is to run the back of one's hands over each foot to sense temperature differences. Increased temperatures indicate possible inflammation caused by infection.

Infection can spread from the feet to the rest of the body. Signs of spreading infection include swelling, fever, nausea, sudden changes in blood sugar, fatigue or loss of appetite. If such signs are occurring, then emergency treatment will be necessary.

Preventing a fungal foot infection

The best method to treat an infection by far is to prevent from happening in the first place. Daily foot inspections are a must to check for any possible open wounds on your foot and prevent foot fungal infections. As for people with diabetes, they should adhere to good diabetic foot care and exercise proper blood sugar control. For such patients, infections can be serious enough to result in leg loss and thus prompt attention is necessary.

Treatments for foot infections

Generally, a foot infection can be treated through the use of antibiotics. There are many different types of antibiotics. Sometimes several different antibiotics are required to fight the infection when there is more than one type of germ involved in the infection. One of the ways to select an appropriate antibiotic to combat an infection is to take a culture of the infection.

Cultures are typically done by swabbing the infected foot area with a sterile cotton tip applicator. The culture is then sent to a lab for identification so as to determine which antibiotics will be effective in eliminating the germs. Culture swabs can identify the germs but they cannot diagnose infection. The diagnosis of infection is dependent on different factors and signs.

Antibiotics can be prescribed and given in the form of pills or by intravenous means. There are also antibiotics that can be applied as creams or ointments directly onto the wound. The method of antibiotic administration is dependent on several factors that include location of the infection, type of germ and severity of the infection.

Besides using antibiotics, your doctor may take other measures to encourage the healing of an infected ulcer. For an ulcer to heal, it has to be covered with a healthy layer of tissue with no dead cells blocking. To ensure this, your doctor needs to perform a surgical procedure to remove all dead tissue from the wound. This needs to be done frequently as the wound is healing. Very often, after cleaning the site of infection, ointment is applied directly to the wound. If not, the wound will be covered with clean sterile gauze in between dressings. You should make sure to never walk on your infected foot. If you need to get around, consider using a pair of crutches.

For diabetic foot infection treatment, any diabetes patient will be familiar with the term MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcous aureus) which basically describes the situation whereby germs develop resistance to antibiotics. Thankfully, an antibiotic known as Vancomycin can be used to treat MRSA. Whatever you do, please make sure that you fully understand the steps for your prescription. If you have any questions, you should consult your doctors.

From a traditional standpoint, a foot fungal infection can be difficult to cure. Your doctor may prescribe an oral medication such as itraconazole (Sporanox). But beware of potential side effects and always make sure you consult your doctor before taking any new medications. These drugs are newer, have a higher success rate than traditional therapies and have to be consumed for up to 12 weeks. Following this regime, roughly 70 percent of nails are successfully treated. Once the foot fungus infection has been destroyed, it may up to 2 years for your new toenail to grow out normally.