Diabetic foot survival tips for Phoenix, Arizona swimming pools.

Long hot summers in Phoenix provide the opportunity for an abundance of water activity at public pools.

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Desert water fun comes with additional hazards to feet that prediabetics and diabetics should be aware of.

Cactus thorns

Wearing sandals or flip-flops in the swimming pool area goes without saying to protect against sharp rocks and broken glass. Arizona vines and bushes carry thorns that pose an additional threat to feet. A little wind can blow a stray cactus a long way to easily step on. Even the thinnest thorny tree and shrub branches cause pain when they poke the skin and can leave an open puncture wound.

Blazing summer heat.

With temperatures frequently exceeding 105 degrees, walking on cement, pavement, tiles, and sand without footwear is not safe. Hot surfaces like this can cause immediate burns and possibly blister the bottom of feet.

Protective footwear will also protect against heat-loving bacteria lingering on floor surfaces near the pool and changing rooms.

Intense sun and chlorine.

Swimming pools need lots of sanitizing chlorine in the pool water to keep up with the intense sun…