Was enjoying the sea and sand in beautiful Tobago last weekend. I was initially annoyed as both Store Bay and Pigeon Point were filled on Sunday with cruisers from a large vessel. Then I reflected, and though I wanted a quiet beach, became thankful for entrepreneurs on the beaches, and island as a whole. Thought of how excited I would have been, to have my foreign based friends visit, via cruise or otherwise.

Even on the beach, I had on orthotic slippers walking on the sand. I never had water shoes before; however, I recently acquired a pair. My greatest fear, though not diabetic, is a puncture wound. I walked into the ocean and felt uncomfortable with the varied things I was mashing. I carried my water shoes to Tobago, but forgot to take it to the beach. It would provide such great protection.

In this period, the beach is more crowded than ever; from tourists, to churchgoers over Carnival;  to the after Carnival cool downs, to more tourists. You might not realise how badly the beach can do a number on your feet. Whether it’s your feet getting burned from the sun, or getting puncture wounds and cuts, your easy-going beach trip can quickly turn into a pain-in-the-foot day.

Keep the feet protected

Normally, when going out to the beach, you’ll probably be barefoot, or at least in slippers or sandals when you’re walking around. Your feet will be directly placed in the sun all, if not a lot of the time. The problem here, is that the foot is often the most overlooked part of the body, when it comes to applying sunscreen. Most people don’t realise that the sun can actually cause plenty of damage to their feet, even if they don’t appear to be burned.

The Heat is Real

You don’t want to miss out on a perfectly good beach day; and you shouldn’t have to, unless of course, you have no shoes! It is extremely dangerous to be walking on paved surfaces, sidewalks, and the sand in the extreme heat, when you’re barefoot. Although the heat of the surface of the ground, can cause all kinds of painful discomforts; like burning, for example; but there’s an easy solution…wear shoes!

A simple pair of sandals can do wonders;  however, having them slip off can be quite painful, if your foot ends up making contact with the hot sand, or blacktop. Water shoes or sandals that have straps, are perfect beach shoes, that can protect you from more than the heat.

No wounds or cuts please

Whether you already have a cut, and are trying to protect it from getting infected; or you are wanting to minimise the risk of it happening again; protecting your feet from wounds and cuts at the beach is sadly nowadays, not an easy task. The sandy shore is littered with broken glass, sharp objects, and seashells, that could end up slicing or cutting your feet while walking on the beach.

However, unfortunately, the inevitable may happen. If you do end up cutting your foot, your best first move is to stay out of the water, or if you’re already in, get out. This is not because of the sharks, but more because of the threat of bacteria in the ocean, that may possibly cause an infection. Depending on how deep or how open your cut is, you could possibly be facing the possibility of a pretty nasty infection.

Watch your Step

Not only should you be on the lookout for seashells and broken glass, you should also be watching for certain sea creatures, that can sting if you end up stepping on them. Whether they are sea urchins, jellyfish, stingrays, etc., which could possibly be even washed up on the shore, any of these creatures can cause damage and pain to your feet.

There are several different ways and remedies when dealing with a jellyfish or stingray sting. However, if it doesn’t seem to be getting any better, you might want to consider going to see a doctor. You should also watch your footing when you’re simply walking around. Since the beach is generally an overall uneven surface, you can either lose your footing easily, or experience arch or heel pain. If you’re going to be running or walking on the beach, you coul even consider wearing athletic shoes. Although you might get sand in them, it’s a small price to pay instead of nursing a painful arch later on.

Diabetic Alert

If you are suffering from poor circulation or numbness in your feet, you might not even notice a burn, cut, or puncture wound. Therefore, when you’re at the beach and you have diabetes, try to wear water shoes all the time, and always check your feet at various intervals during your trip. Make sure you haven’t suffered from a wound; and if you have, take care of it immediately.

You can also experience some sort of foot or ankle discomfort. If you do, or if you think you might have an infection, don’t hesitate to arrange an appointment with your doctor or podiatrist. All in all, have fun; but be careful while doing so!

Your feet mirror your general health . . . cherish them!