Diabetes and Caring For Your Feet
If you are diabetic, you are susceptible to diabetic neuropathy – a type of nerve damage that most often happens in the feet and legs. With this condition, you may have less blood flow and poor circulation, as well as loss of feeling in the feet and legs. This makes it more important for you to pay attention to caring for your feet because you may not realize you have injuries on your feet, which can get worse if left untreated. Additionally, decreased blood flow and limited circulation makes for slow healing when there is an injury. Your feet are your key to independence and mobility. So for diabetics, it’s important to make foot care a part of their daily routines.
The following are tips for caring for your feet:
Check your feet and clean them with soap and warm water every day. Make sure to check the temperature of the water before exposing your feet to them as you may burn your feet without realizing it! If you have cuts or scrapes, make sure to treat them and bandage them to prevent from infection. Inspect your feet for problems like ingrown toenails, bunions, corns, calluses, or blisters. These should be treated by a podiatrist as soon as possible to prevent worse issues.
Dry your feet completely after washing, then moisturize your feet. When moisturizer is absorbed, put on a fresh pair of socks each time. This will help prevent bacterial and fungal infections and dry skin.
Wearing socks or slippers can help protect you from inadvertently stepping on something or scraping your feet without knowing it.
Exercise is not only helpful to your overall health with diabetes, it’s also great for encouraging circulation. Massaging your legs can also increase circulation, which you need to get vital nutrients to your toes and feet.
If you have issues mentioned above, or see that your feet are becoming disfigured in some way, you may need custom orthotics or another solution. Make an appointment with us at PerfectFeetCare Podiatry Centers at our Miami (305-225-4277) or Hialeah office (305-558-7437). Our podiatrists specialize in diabetic foot care and will assess your foot care needs to find you the proper treatment.
