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Wounds in the foot that result from a puncture may be small in size but can lead to big-time complications and infections if not treated timely. This happens because bacteria or other pathogens can enter the foot and lead to serious problems. The most common cause of punctures to the foot are nails, which account for over ninety percent of these types of wounds. It’s therefore important that you treat wounds of this nature with the promptest of attention.
Puncture Wounds on your feet may not be deep and many believe that home treatment is sufficient. However, when the wound is not correctly sterilized, an infection could happen, which could prove life-threatening if bacteria easily gets to the tissue underneath the surface of the skin because you cannot sanitize that area without proper medical attention. Our podiatrist, Dr. Joel S. Segalman, DPM at the Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC, is trained to make sure your puncture wounds don’t become infected. Call or visit us at our Waterbury 203-755-0489 & Newtown 203-270-6724, Connecticut locations today to learn more about bacterial and other infections discussed below that can happen when you puncture your foot.
The other common consequence of a puncture wound to your foot is tetanus, the bacteria of which is primarily located in soil, where nails are likely to be hidden. This infection causes painful muscle contractions. Of great importance is what you do if your foot is punctured. Initially, you should apply pressure to the wound to stop bleeding and wash it with clean water. An antibiotic ointment should be applied to the punctured area. Lastly, proper medical attention should be sought immediately thereafter because there may still be something in the foot that would need to be removed.
Going barefoot is something that should be undertaken with precaution as it may be safe to walk on grass in that manner but not in an urban environment with different types of debris which may be contaminated. With all this information, we highly encourage you to contact our office for an appointment today to help confirm that your puncture wound heals in a safe way.