Available treatment options from your doctor for an infected foot can include:
- oral or topical antibiotics.
- prescription antifungal pills or creams.
- cryotherapy to remove plantar warts.
- vacuum-assisted closure for diabetic foot ulcers.
- surgery.
In this post
What is the best antibiotic for a foot infection?
Patients with mild infections can be treated with oral antibiotics, like cephalexin, dicloxacillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, or clindamycin. A more severe infection is typically treated intravenously with ciprofloxacin-clindamycin, piperacillin-tazobactam, or imipenem-cilastatin.
What causes bacterial infection on feet?
If you have a cut, scrape, or open blister on your foot, bacteria can enter your foot. This can cause your foot to develop an infection. You might have a bacterial infection in your foot if your cut isn’t healing on its own and feels warm, swollen, or has fluid or pus.
How do I know if I have a bacterial infection in my feet?
Symptoms & Identification
- Change in skin color.
- Rise in skin temperature.
- Swelling and pain.
- Open wounds that are slow to heal.
- Breaks or dryness in the skin.
- Drainage.
- Odor.
- Fever.
How serious is an infected foot?
An infection in the foot can become serious if a person has diabetes. It may take a long time to heal and can even lead to gangrene. In the most serious cases, this can require amputation. When bacteria are responsible for the infection, a doctor will treat it with antibiotic medications.
What happens if a foot infection goes untreated?
Left untreated, a bacterial infection in the foot can lead to cellulitis, which is a potentially serious skin infection that can spread to your lymph nodes and bloodstream.
What does a bacterial infection look like?
Bacterial skin infections often begin as small, red bumps that slowly increase in size. Some bacterial infections are mild and easily treated with topical antibiotics, but other infections require an oral antibiotic. Different types of bacterial skin infections include: cellulitis.
What can I soak my infected foot in?
Mix 1-2 tablespoons of unscented Epsom salts into one quart of warm water and soak your foot for 15 minutes at a time. Do this several times a day for the first few days. Always dry your foot completely after soaking. Soaking your ingrown or infected toe will help relieve the pain and pressure of an infection.
How can I treat a foot infection at home?
You can also try these remedies at home: Soak the toe for about 15 minutes in a bathtub or bucket filled with warm water and salt. Do this three to four times a day. Rub a medicated ointment on the toe and wrap it in a clean bandage.
Can you walk on an infected foot?
An infected foot can be painful and can make it difficult to walk and carry out normal day-to-day activities. A foot infection can occur for a variety of reasons, such as from bacteria getting into a wound or from a fungal infection, such as athlete’s foot.
Should you elevate an infected foot?
Elevate the area — Elevating the arm or leg above the level of the heart can help to reduce swelling and speed healing. Keep the area clean and dry — It is important to keep the infected area clean and dry.
How long do antibiotics take to work for foot infection?
Antibiotics begin working as soon as you take them; relief begins within one to three days, but you should continue to take them for 7 to 14 days depending on the severity of infection.
What are the most common foot infections?
Foot infections include warts; the common disease athlete’s foot (tinea pedis), which is caused by a foot fungus that thrives in warm, humid conditions; and a bacterial infection called pitted keratolysis, which is also associated with warm, damp feet.
What is septic foot?
A foot was considered septic when the following clinical signs were evident: cellulitis, edema, a sinus tract with purulent discharge, or findings consistent with pedal abscess or osteomyelitis, with or without concomitant fever or leukocytosis.
What does staph infection on foot look like?
Staph cellulitis usually begins as a small area of tenderness, swelling, and redness. Sometimes it begins with an open sore. Other times, there is no obvious break in the skin at all. The signs of cellulitis are those of any inflammation — redness, warmth, swelling, and pain.
What does sepsis look like?
Signs of sepsis are: • Pale, blotchy or blue skin, lips or tongue. Blotchy skin is when parts of your skin are a different colour than normal. Sometimes it is hard to know if you or somebody you look after has sepsis, or if it is something else, like flu or a chest infection.
What is cellulitis of the foot?
Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of your skin and the tissues beneath your skin. It most commonly affects the lower part of your body, including your legs, feet and toes. However, it can occur in any part of your body. It also commonly appears on your face, arms, hands and fingers.
What is diabetic foot infection?
Diabetic foot infection, defined as soft tissue or bone infection below the malleoli, is the most common complication of diabetes mellitus leading to hospitalization and the most frequent cause of nontraumatic lower extremity amputation.
When should you go to the hospital for a bacterial infection?
Seek care as soon as possible for: Stiff neck, vomiting, and severe headache, which are symptoms of meningitis. Nausea and vomiting with stomach pain, which could be food poisoning (bacterial gastroenteritis) or appendicitis.
How do you tell if a skin infection is fungal or bacterial?
Skin infections caused by viruses usually result in red welts or blisters that can be itchy and/or painful. Meanwhile, fungal infections usually present with a red, scaly and itchy rash with occasional pustules.
How can you get rid of a bacterial infection without antibiotics?
Seven best natural antibiotics
- Garlic. Cultures across the world have long recognized garlic for its preventive and curative powers.
- Honey. Since the time of Aristotle, honey has been used as an ointment that helps wounds to heal and prevents or draws out infection.
- Ginger.
- Echinacea.
- Goldenseal.
- Clove.
- Oregano.