OSF Healthcare has issued an advisory for what cold, dry weather can do to skin.
Becki Walz, P.A., a primary care provider for OSF Healthcare in Peoria, Illinois, said in an October post that winter weather can cause skin problems that, if not properly treated, can turn into serious wounds.
“In the winter, the air becomes cool and dry,” Walz said. “It pulls all the moisture out of the air, which then pulls moisture out of your skin. That can disrupt the skin barrier. When your skin gets really dry, it can become flaky and itchy. As this gets worse, you can develop cracks that are painful and can bleed. More importantly when your skin starts to crack, it creates an opening for bacteria. It can lead to infections.”
Walz recommended that people with skin conditions that don’t improve through at-home treatments such as moisturizers see their healthcare providers. Patients should monitor their wounds for pain, drainage, swelling, redness or warmth, all of which can indicate a possible infection.
And Walz had a special caution for people living with diabetes.
“The elevation in blood sugar causes damage to the blood vessels, and that causes decreased circulation,” she said. “There are less oxygen and nutrients being delivered to a wound. Those are things the wound needs to heal and fight off infections.
“People with diabetes can develop neuropathy, especially in the feet. If they were to step on something and injure their foot or develop a wound, they might not always feel it. Sometimes by the time they notice, it’s already progressing and getting a lot worse.”
Walz recommended daily skin checks for people with diabetes, and suggested they pay special attention to their feet.
“Check the top and bottom of the feet and between the toes,” she said. “And resist the urge to walk around with no or minimal footwear. If you just need to take Fido out for a quick bathroom break, put socks and sneakers on anyway.”
Upon coming indoors after being out in the cold for long periods, Walz advised putting on socks and moving feet gently via toe curls or a light walk. “We don’t want to use a heating pad, a space heater or really hot water because of the possible reduced sensation,” she said. “So it’s possible they could be burning their feet, and they wouldn’t know.”
For skin-sense resources are available on the OSF Healthcare website.
