A Malaysian woman was hospitalised with a foot infection after walking barefoot on a beach, highlighting hidden health risks linked to contaminated sand.
WALKING barefoot on the sand is something many of us do at the beach, but little do we realise it may not be the best idea for our skin.
A Malaysian woman recently shared what she described as a “traumatising” experience after being admitted to hospital for a skin infection following a simple beach getaway.
“She felt like a main character walking barefoot on the beach, not knowing she had unlocked a new fear for the rest of her life,” she wrote in her viral Threads post.
The beach was said to be located in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.
Following the trip, she had to seek hospital treatment and was diagnosed with bilateral foot itchiness, believed to have been caused by walking barefoot on the beach.
Research shows that such itching can be caused by parasites, environmental irritants, or allergic reactions to materials found in sand. Some common potential causes include:
- Hookworm – an intensely itchy rash caused by parasite larvae in contaminated sand that burrow into the skin, typically found in tropical regions
- Sand fleas – small, blood-sucking insects commonly found in sandy areas
- Contact dermatitis – an allergic reaction to irritating substances in the sand, such as seaweed or chemical contaminants
As the post gained traction, netizens claimed that beaches in Port Dickson do not have a strong track record when it comes to cleanliness and offered advice to the woman. Others pointed out that such infections are unfortunately quite common, whether at beaches or even in waterfall areas.
“That beach looks dirty. Ocean waves shouldn’t look so frothy,” one user commented.
“By the way, the beaches in Port Dickson and Melaka are not suitable for ‘healing’ walks without footwear because they’re really dirty and the water is extremely murky,” another noted.
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The Sun Malaysia
