Burned Feet: How to Prevent and Treat the Injury
It’s much easier to burn your feet than most people realize. Common surfaces like pavement, blacktop, and sand heat up extremely fast; 90-degree weather can raise their temperature to upwards of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, which could cause first- or even second-degree burns on the skin. Especially during hotter days and seasons, the risk of getting burned is a serious concern, and you need to be cautious to avoid such an injury.
Common Causes of Burned Feet
The most aggravating part of foot burn is that it is often caused by seasonal activities and minor mistakes, like walking barefoot on hot sand or wearing poorly fitting flip-flops that don’t fully protect you from the sun and hot surfaces. Other causes include:
- Sunburn: A foot is just as vulnerable to sunburn as any other part of the body. Winding up with sunburnt heels can come from something as simple as lounging in the sun too long barefoot.
- Walking on Hot Pavement: Outside of sand, walking barefoot on hot pavement of any form can cause foot burn, especially considering the temperatures blacktops and the like can reach.
Burning the bottom of your feet will make it harder to walk, affect your balance, cause a painful burning sensation or numbness, and may make your feet feel heavier. A severe foot burn impedes your ability to perform daily tasks comfortably and will absolutely ruin your next couple of weeks.
How Do I Know If My Feet Are Burned?
There are several signs that you may have a burn, and having even a couple likely means you’ll want to start trying home remedies or visit a podiatrist.
Signs of A Burned Foot
- Skin Redness: The telltale sign of foot burn is skin redness, which is often found at the bottom of the foot (though not always).
- Increased Temperature: If one or both of your feet feel warmer or hotter, it is a common sign of a burn.
- Burning Feet: If you feel a burning sensation, it is likely your body signaling that it is burned or in the process of being burned.
Swelling in a select area of the foot can also be a sign of burning, but only in correlation with other listed or known factors. Swelling in and of itself does not always equate to a foot burn.
Preventing Burned Feet
How do you prevent your feet from being burned? The key is to be properly prepared for the blazing heat and to practice your activities with caution when dealing with hot surfaces.
- Use the Right Footwear: Properly fitting, breathable shoes, sandals, or flip-flops will protect your entire foot from sizzling sand or pavement while mitigating the chances of sunburn.
- Put on Sunscreen: Applying sunscreen to every part of your body is a must on hot days. This simple action provides significant protection against the pains of a sunburn.
- Pace Yourself: Don’t stay out in the sun too long without finding shade, and never spend long stretches of time barefoot on hot surfaces. Pace yourself, and listen to your body when you feel something is off. This is vital to preventing burns.
- Hydration: Staying hydrated is always crucial. Drinking plenty of water will minimize swelling and improve your blood circulation, lessening the impact of a more minor foot burn. Additionally, it helps stave off cramps, which could cause you to be on hot surfaces for too long.
Treating Burned Feet
In the unfortunate event that you do get injured, there are plenty of home remedies and treatments for burned or burning feet.
- Cool Water: Running the burned spot under cool water (not cold water) for 10 minutes will help lower foot temperature and ease pain.
- Avoid Heat Exposure: Try to minimize the amount of time the burned area is exposed to heat to prevent further burning or pain.
- Lotion: Putting lotion on the burned area after it is cooled, particularly lotion containing substances like cocoa butter and the like, will prevent drying and peeling skin.
- Painkillers: Nonprescription painkillers will reduce pain in the burned area temporarily.
Managing pain and discomfort is the most you will likely need to do for treating a burned foot, as the injury tends to heal on its own within a week or two. In more severe cases, such as a second-degree burn, you will want to see a podiatrist to determine the best course of treatment.
Feel like you need to see a specialist because of burned feet or other foot problems? Family FootCare is chock-full of capable podiatrists who can help you! Contact us today and get yourself checked!
Sources:
Hot Summer Safety: Protecting Your Feet from Burn Risks
https://www.ibji.com/blog/foot-ankle/hot-summer-safety-protecting-your-feet-from-burn-risks/
10 Tips for Preventing Summer Foot Injuries
https://www.southtexaspodiatrist.com/blog/10-tips-for-preventing-summer-foot-injuries
Burns: First aid
https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-burns/basics/art-20056649
Burning Feet? Stay Cool and Comfortable This Summer
Burning Feet Syndrome
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17773-burning-feet-syndrome
