Despite the Jacksonville Jaguars losing to the Cincinnati Bengals at last Sunday’s game there was a silver lining for First Coast fans.  The official NFL referees are back and Fred Taylor was inducted into the Pride of Jaguars during halftime!  But the last thing any football fan, team, or coach needs at this point in the season is their star football players being injured.  Steve Smith, the veteran wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers missed practice earlier in the season due to an infection in his left foot.  Fortunately Smith was able to play in the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. How the foot infection came about still remains a mystery, but there are numerous ways for a foot to become infected, from bacterial to fungal.  Anytime you have an open lesion or a possible opening to the skin such as a blister, or even a bug bite, the wound can become swarmed with bacteria and cause an infection.  Ingrown toenails can also commonly become infected.  Signs of infection include:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Pain
• Drainage
• Warmth
• Foul odor

This is especially important for diabetic patients due to the fact that diabetes is a systemic disease which predisposes these patients to infection.  It is crucial that the diabetic patient perform daily foot checks to make sure that they do not have a new wound.  Something of equal importance is to make sure the web-spaces between the toes is dry, since wet, web-spaces can also be a portal of entry to infection. At First Coast Foot and Ankle Clinic, we see many diabetic patients for routine foot checks every three months, as well as treat a multitude of painful ingrown toenails that can potentially lead to infection.  Not only do we prevent the infection, but we can also treat it by prescribing antibiotics to rid your body of those pesky bacteria. If you or someone you know may be suffering from a possible infection request an appointment today to see what Dr. Vimal Reddy can do for you.