5 ways to avoid the ER this winter

Hopefully winter will be coming to a close very soon. In the meantime, remember these tips to take care of your feet and ankles for the rest of the season!

Avoid heat loss

When you are participating in cold weather outdoor activities, you want to avoid heat loss. It is an old wives tale that you lose most of your heat from your head. Heat loss is all about surface area and how quickly heat can be transferred. In reality, wet, bare skin on any part of your body can cause rapid heat loss, especially on a windy day. So, for example, when you are ice fishing you’ll want a boot that will keep your feet warm and socks that will wick away moisture.

Keep numb feet away from heat sources

Many people with diabetes have numbness in their feet. Their malfunctioning nerves tell their brain that their feet are cold. Every winter I see someone who was trying to warm their feet using a heat source (i.e. heating pad, electric or radiator heater, fire place, etc.) and caused a severe burn. If you have numbness in your feet, first, touch them to see if they really are cold, then warm them with a pair of socks or a blanket.

Protect weak ankles

Many of us love ice skating in the winter. However, ice skates pose an increased risk of ankle injury especially if you aren’t used to wearing them or you have weak ankles. If you are a seasonal ice skater and not working on your triple Satchie, I suggest wearing a hockey skate, which offers more ankle support and has a slightly wider blade.

Icy surfaces cause ankle fractures

Most ankle fractures occur under icy conditions. Even something as simple as taking out the trash or walking across a parking lot can cause you to slip. While a pair of golf shoes or track spikes would give you excellent traction, they aren’t practical.

I would suggest wearing boots that provide ankle support, putting down salt or sand to improve traction, holding onto someone or something for extra stability, or strapping something to your shoes, such as Yaktrax.

Save money on healthcare expenses

If you have a foot or ankle issue, visit a podiatrist first. If you choose to go to the emergency room, they will likely refer you to a podiatrist anyway. Avoiding the ER means you won’t have to wait for hours in a waiting room full of the flu virus. Also, you can avoid a double copayment (one for the ER visit and one for the podiatrist visit).

At Weil Foot & Ankle Institute, we have an X-ray machine in our office and we have more experience in reading foot and ankle X-rays than an ER. To call for an appointment please call (262) 697-4301 or visit our website at www.weil4feet.com/

Written by Eric M Larsen DPM