I heard my grandad talking about a condition called Trenchfoot- what is it? Is it common?

Trench foot, also called immersion foot, is a medical condition characterized by a tingling or itching sensation of the foot accompanied by swelling, pain, and numbness. A person with trench foot may also develop blotchy, cold skin and have a heavy or prickly feeling in his or her foot. Typically, the foot also feels dry and painful and becomes red when warm.

Trench foot develops after a person’s feet become wet and stay wet for an extended period of time and is called after soldiers in WW1 who suffered this condition from standing in wet trenches for long periods of time.

Cold injuries, such as trench foot or chilblains, may cause pale and blistered skin like frostbite after the skin has warmed. These injuries occur from spending too much time in cold, but not freezing, temperatures. The skin does not actually freeze.

Trench foot can be prevented by keeping the feet warm and dry, or changing your socks regularly if you can't keep them dry.

Trenchfoot occurs when feet are cold and damp while wearing constricting footwear but your feet have to be in this condition for a period of time. So whether it is common or not depends on what you are doing when you get the trench foot. most people would take off their footwear when they find them wet, so hopefully it shouldnt be too bad.

I don't think it is as common today as it was during the Great War and WW2, but I have heard of a few cases of it here and there.

What would be the effective treatment for trench foot?

Here are steps in treating trench foot:
1. Clean and dry feet
2. Put on clean and dry socks everyday
3. Treat the affected foot by putting a sock and soak in warm water.
4. When sleeping do not wear socks.

Marian thanks for the reply that you posted. My mother has trench foot and now I know how to treat the illness.

You mean soaking the foot with sock on warm water. This is just an unusual treatment for this ailment.

It sounds weird but this really the treatment for trench foot. You need to soak your foot with socks on warm water for 15-20 minutes.

How can this be prevented?

I guess don’t soak your feet in water. When your feet are soaked in water for a long time, this could cause trench foot.