You don’t want your foot infection to spread to your spouse, and you don’t want their foot problem to develop on your feet either. It can be hard to keep a foot infection from spreading throughout your household, especially if you have kids, but we’re confident that you can lower your risk with a little foresight. With that in mind, we want to use today’s blog to share some tips for lowering your risk of spreading your foot infection to your family.
Stopping The Spread Of Foot Infections
If you keep these tips in mind, we’re confident that you can reduce the likelihood that a foot infection will spread to others in your household.
1. Consult With A Foot Specialist – For starters, it’s wise to consult with your primary care physician or a foot specialist like Dr. Silverman if you’re dealing with a foot infection. They’ll be able to tell you exactly what you’re dealing with and set you up with a specific treatment program. Oftentimes this involves medication or topical creams. The sooner you begin treating the specific infection, the sooner the problem will resolve, and treating the problem swiftly can reduce the chances that it spreads to others in your house.
2. Cover Your Feet – Covering your feet makes it less likely that the infected area will touch surfaces that are then later touched by others in your house. However, you want to keep your feet cool and dry, as infections can thrive in warm and moist environments, so don’t just hide your feet in your damp shoes. Wearing breathable socks can cut down on bacteria transmission.
3. Regularly Clean Your Feet – It’s also smart to practice good hygiene and to clean your feet regularly with soap and water. Be sure to clean your hands after touching your feet, too!
4. Don’t Share Personal Items – Don’t share personal items while you’re working to overcome a fungal infection on your feet. This includes things like towels, nail clippers, nail files, socks and shoes. Fungal infections can spread from direct skin on skin contact and indirect contact between personal items, so don’t share any household items while you’re battling a fungal infection.
5. Wash Your Belongings – It’s a wise idea to wash certain belongings more frequently, especially if they come in contact with your feet. Towels, socks, blankets and bedding are items you’ll want to wash with greater frequency, as they can be a source of indirect contact between your feet and your loved ones.
To give yourself the best chance at overcoming a foot infection, connect with Dr. Silverman by filling out this contact form.