The search here isn't great, but I didn't see anything on this subject so I thought I'd bring it up. Short story; I have a small hole* in my heel, down the the soft skin. I've been putting tea tree oil on it, and I have some plasters (bandaids?) but I don't like using disposable bits of plastic unless absolutely necessary... So, what's the best way to prevent infection in small cracks, blisters, cuts, etc. in your soles when you're walking barefoot? If the topic has already come up, then apologies. (If you can provide a link then at least anyone searching for infection will be able to find it via this thread.) *(Long version; I thought I had a thorn stuck in there the past few days, and I tried prying it out today only for it to turn out to be a small pice of glass - I assume it was sand from when I was at the beach a couple of weeks ago that got into a drained blister before the skin reattached itself and forced it deeper - and there were a couple more in there so I pried them all (I hope) out with a needle. This left said hole in my heel, which I assume isn't going anywhere until the fresh skin underneath becomes the outer layer. One reason not to lance blisters I suppose.)
Going barefoot exposes you, for sure, and makes the skin of your feet crack, even when you don't see it. If you don't want to bandage the foot, there's not much you can do, especially with broken blisters or larger cuts. I'd say take good care of them and be off your feet as much as possible if they are bothering you. Also: sea-salt soaks can help. As protection from external agents, I'd suggest using petroleum jelly – but it might be something you don't want to use for the same reasons you don't want to use plastic (and really, I understand that, I'm not too keen on petroleum jelly either, but there are situations in which it may come in handy). However, pure shea butter might provide similar protection. Finally, and this is very important, be up-to-date with your tetanus boosts. It's important for everyone, but especially so for people who go barefoot outside on a regular basis. It's something you do only once every 10 years, so it's not that bad.
I'd not worry about it too much, unless it's an open cut - one through which blood can get out and hence other things can get in. And even if it is open, just make sure you wash thoroughly with soap and water when you get in you'll be fine, and if you're paranoid apply a bit of TCP or savlon or some other disinfectant. If you're not in pain when walking barefoot then you're probably not at much risk.
Thoroughly clean the affected area with antibacterial soap and water, ensuring that all foreign matter is removed. Use a #20 xacto knife blade if you need to probe for any embedded material. Irrigate the area with hydrogen peroxide. Use a brush and/or massage the area to ensure that it gets down into the cracks. For extra effectiveness, flush continuously until the foaming stops. Allow area to dry in the open air (preferred), or gently pat dry with a new sterile gauze pad. Apply polysporin/neomyacin antibiotic ointment to the immediate affected area, taking care not to get it on healthy, unaffected skin adjacent to the wound. Apply a stretchable fabric adhesive bandage to the area. Plastic bandages will fall off in a moment, but the better quality fabric ones will stay in place all day long, even on the bottom of your foot in wet conditions. In the evenings before bed, remove the bandage, inspect the affected area, and reapply hydrogen peroxide. Allow the wound to breath in the open air overnight. The following morning, re-apply the antibiotic ointment and bandage before walking around. If the wound is not completely closed and healthy-looking after 3 days or so, find a doctor who will prescribe Bactroban (Mupirocin) ointment. This is a very powerful topical antibiotic which will effectively treat even abscessed infections directly. Only use it if the above regimen is ineffective.
Some good answers. According to the NHS website, they don't seem to think tetanus boots are necessary in the UK, if you had the full vaccine course as a kid and aren't "at risk". I wonder if the difference is in the vaccine or the policy. Wouldn't absorbant material in wet conditions increase the risk of infection? (I've always assumed the plastic ones are superior for that reason... misconception?)
But see, they don't think that people would go barefoot. Tetanus bacteria can remain dormant in the ground, and can get into your system through the smallest cracks in the skin. I'm not trying to terrorize anyone, but the main reason I got my latest tetanus boost is that I know it may be easier for me to get in touch with the bacteria than for the average person. I think the peace of mind is worth the five days of sore muscles in my arm.
Good point. I was thinking along the lines of the NHS being conservative/stingey because they're publicly funded. I'm definitely going to ask for a boost though.
If tetanus were that much of a problem, don't you think you'd hear about cases of people getting it all the time - if it can get in through tiny cracks in the skin, then people would be picking it up through all the things they touch with their hands. I think the sort of nanny state we're living in would be scaremongering people to get their boosts regularly if it were a real problem. And I don't think it's got anything to do with fewer people going barefoot.
The primary purpose of the bandage in this case is to prevent the introduction of solid contaminants. No regular bandage will be water-tight. Besides, a bandage that falls off easily is of very little use. If you've been walking in wet areas with the potential for biological contamination (near farms, large rodent populations, etc...) it would be a good idea to flush the area with Hydrogen Peroxide and re-apply the topical antibiotic at earliest opportunity. The vast majority of people in the developed world have had their tetanus vaccinations. The most recent findings have indicated that the frequency of dosage need be far less than previously thought.
Super glue the hole shut. Seriously, clean it out really well, dry it off, and put a few drops of super glue on it. It also works really well it you split a cuticle or have a little cut on your finger that keeps opening up.
That reminds me, my last tetanus booster was in 1978, after a motorbike crash (nothing serious), and i must have done thousands of bf miles since then...
That has definitely worked for me before, except with one caveat. Glue the skin together. Don't fill the hole with glue. I once filled a hole in my foot with glue, and it was painful to walk on. It turns out that the glue dried into a rough ball inside there and was poking me with every step.
