5 Essential Tips for Safe and Healthy Summer Feet

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At Affiliated Foot & Ankle Center, we want all of our patients to enjoy a safe and happy summer here in beautiful Monmouth County, New Jersey. Here are five important ways to make sure that your feet and ankles are just as safe and happy as you are:

  1. Get the support you need.
    Lots of people become inseparable from this summer shoe that offers no arch support whatsoever. Who’s their best summer foot pal? The flip-flop. Flip-flops are great for the pool and the beach because they protect you from the organisms that cause warts and athlete’s foot. But don’t wear them to tour Manhattan, for example. Limit your time around these unsupportive friends.
  2. Do your summer chores in the right shoes.        
    If you’ve just got sandals on - or worse, you’re barefoot - and you run outside to move some potted plants around, you’re not doing all you can to keep your feet protected. Yard work, even if it’s just for a few minutes, is best done with work boots or other closed-toed shoes - just in case you drop that pot smack in the metatarsals.
     
  3. Douse your feet in sunscreen. Skin cancers of the feet are a real possibility without that protection, so use it -- SPF 30 or above!
     
  4. Beware of puncture wounds.  
    Bare feet are completely unprotected from rocks on the lawn, shells on the beach, nails on the driveway, and other pointed objects that puncture the skin. A puncture creates a hole in the skin as opposed to a tear or gash. It can be tough to see how far down a puncture wound goes, so be extra-vigilant and visit one of our podiatrists if there’s any sign of infection.
     
  5. Visit our office as soon as foot pain is an issue.
    Your summer will be less fun if you can’t walk, run, play tennis, and all the other things you love to do. So visit our board-certified doctors, Samantha Boyd, DPM, Hal Ornstein, DPM, and Joseph Saka, DPM, when pain or soreness interferes with your life. Many foot issues can be easily treated, especially in their early stages.

For excellent care and treatment of the feet and ankles, make an appointment with us in Howell or Jackson, NJ. Click here or call (732) 905-1110.