During World War I the soldiers lived in ditches for long amounts of time. The conditions they were exposed to were vicious. A cold, damp and unsanitary environment is what they dealt with day in and day out and their feet were particularly exposed thanks to the long-term exposure to dampness that authorized bacteria to grow and skin to fester "the was long before the discovery of antibacterial gels or lotions. A large number of the men developed what came to be known as "trench foot" or what is also known as "foot rot". In one winter, 20,000 men developed blue, gangrenous feet and many essentially had their legs amputated.
According to the specialists, foot rot sets in after less than 11 hours of exposure to dampness. So whether you are an infantryman, hunter, skier, walker, camper or just love the outside, it is crucial to keep your feet dry regardless of what it takes and no matter whether it's summer or winter.
When the situation presents itself and conditions are perfect for ditch foot, the body goes into survival mode and starts to preserve heat by proscribing blood flow to extremities. Symptoms start to appear including swelling, itching, rosiness, insensibility, shivering, discomfort, ulcers and ultimately infection and gangrene.
Many people think that freezing temperatures are a major element allowing ditch foot to set in. Nevertheless the threat can happen in most temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit or 16 degrees Celsius. The key contributors are basically a fatal mixing of constricting footwear and exposure to dampness for long periods.
In the early days of warfare, armed forces covered their feet with a lubricant made of whale oil to attempt to keep these extremities from developing the rot. One brigadier general announced, "ten gallons a day is what is needed to keep the feet of my complete battalion greased."
Today, in spite of our advanced technology, we still face much the same issue as the early World War I soldiers did as far as keeping feet warm and dry when we're out in the cold and wet. Some may scoff and say that this isn't a latter day problem, but in 1982 as an example, foot rot troubled the Brit forces in the Falkland Islands in the war. There are reported cases from the Performing Arts festival in Glastonbury, Britain in 2007. Doctors ' also report seeing cases in a large range of improbable folks such as extreme sports enthusiasts, builders and security guards.
We have come a good way since World War I in combating the "foot rot" nightmare those heroes faced as they struggled to survive in the trenches. It is great advice for anyone that is faced with wet mud, cold damp feet and limp shoes for any extended period of time to switch socks at least 2 times a day, wear socks that wick sweat away, apply a high quality germicidal gel such as "fiteBac" to help forestall bacteria from finding a foothold and help stop moisture from reaching the skin. Today, with information and preparedness, it's actually possible for history not to copy itself.
Boniface Clairmont writes frequently on the subject of the best hand sanitizers and other products for germaphobes.
