Nothing ruins a summer vacation faster than a painful or injured foot, but a few simple steps can help keep your feet safe and injury-free so you can enjoy your time away from work.
- Wear comfortable shoes to the airport.
You never know how long you will wait in
line, how far you will walk to a terminal or if you will need to run to make a
connecting flight. Loose fitting
flip-flops and sandals increase your risk of tripping, falling and spraining
your ankle. Sprains should be evaluated
by a foot and ankle specialist within 24 hours to ensure proper healing.
- Wear socks with your comfortable shoes.
Not only do socks protect skin from shoe
friction that can cause blisters and calluses, they also keep you healthy. Walking barefoot through an airport metal
detector exposes your feet to bacteria and viruses that could cause plantar
warts and fungus.
-
Avoid bringing new shoes on vacation.
If your vacation includes walking tours,
hiking or dancing, wear worn-in shoes that support and cushion your feet.
- Check your children’s shoes for fit and
comfort.
Make sure their shoes are
not too big or too small and ensure that they provide proper arch support and
shock absorption.
- Pack flip-flops or sandals and wear
sparingly.
Use them in place of
walking barefoot in locker rooms and around pools, where you may pick up
athlete’s foot, a plantar wart infection or toenail fungus.
- Pack an antifungal cream or powder.
Use an antifungal product to help prevent
athlete’s foot if you are staying in a hotel or swimming in public pools.
- Place a towel on the floor before entering
the shower or bathtub.
The towel
will help prevent slipping when you exit and will also help dry toes and
protect them from infection.
- Stretch your legs and pump your feet if you
are traveling more than two hours.
This will help circulate your blood to prevent dangerous blood clots in
your legs known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- Consider wearing compression socks on the
aircraft.
These can help prevent
blood clots and DVT by pushing the blood through the legs and back to the lungs
and heart.
- Pack a small first-aid kit.
If you develop a blister on your foot,
clean your foot with saline solution, apply a small amount of antibiotic cream
to the blister and cover it with a Coverlet bandage, Band-Aid or gauze. If you suffer a puncture wound, see a foot
and ankle specialist within 24 hours for professional cleaning of the wound to
prevent infection and other complications.
Dr. Ruth Ann Cooper
Regenerative Medicine is using medical procedures that promote self-healing. Swift treatment for warts was approved by the FDA in late 2018. The procedure was developed in Scotland and has been used in the United Kingdom for several years. I have been using the Swift treatment for warts for several months. What is Swift and how does it work? Swift microwave is designed to promote your local immune response and allow your body to heal itself. Swift treatment results in a degree of localized tissue stress promoting a healing response, recruiting antibodies and stimulating a heat shock production. Swift treatment of warts has shown positive results for my patients. I have seen as many as twenty-three warts resolve as a result of the Swift treatment. No medication, no bandages and non-invasive. You can find out more on the Plantar Wart Therapy page on my website.
Dr. Ruth Ann Cooper
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