Trench foot

A chronic condition of cold injury affecting the feet of a person obliged to stand for long periods of time in cold water, snow, or mud.


A condition, caused by exposure to cold and damp, in which the skin of the foot becomes red and blistered and in severe cases turns black when gangrene sets in.


Damage to the toes and the skin of the foot due to death of the superficial tissues and caused by prolonged exposure to cold damp conditions.


Also known as immersion foot. This is due to prolonged exposure of the feet to water particularly cold water. Trench warfare is a common precipitating factor, and the condition was rampant during the First World War. Cases also occurred during the Second World War and during the Falklands campaign. (The less common form, due to warm-water immersion, occurred with some frequency in the Vietnam War.) It is characterized by painful swelling of the feet accompanied in due course by blistering and ulceration which, in severe, untreated cases, may progress to gangrene. In mild cases recovery may be complete in a month, but severe cases may drag on for a year.


Degeneration of the skin of the feet due to prolonged exposure to moisture. The condition, which resembles frostbite, may be prevented by ensuring that clean, dry socks are worn at all times. The feet do not have to be exposed to cold to develop this condition.


 


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