As someone that has diabetes, it’s important to take care of the feet as much as the rest of the body. Here are some do’s and don’ts for diabetic foot care.
Do’s and Don’ts of Diabetic Foot Care
Untreated, diabetes can be dangerous for your body. More specifically, it can be really dangerous for your feet. Even a small cut could create serious consequences because of diabetes-related foot ailments like nerve damage or decreased blood flow. If you have diabetes, it may be easy to forget your feet. You may be worried about monitoring your blood sugar, eating healthy, and exercising. Here are some do’s and don’ts for diabetic foot care that will help you protect your feet along with the rest of your body.
Do’s
1 ) Inspect your feet daily.
Make foot inspection part of your morning or night routine. Thoroughly check feet for cracks, cuts, blisters, redness, or swelling. Make sure to check the bottom and sides of your feet as well. Diabetes can cause nerve damage and decreased blood flow to the feet, so if you get a cut and don’t feel or realize it, the consequences could become severe.
2 ) Keep the blood flowing.
Keep the blood flowing in your feet by doing a daily massage. Every morning after your personal check up, add a foot massage. Be sure to wiggle your toes and move your ankles for about five minutes. Do your toe wiggle about two more times in a day.
3 ) Get periodic foot exams
One of the most important “do’s” is to get periodic foot exams from a foot specialist. Regularly seeing a foot specialist can reduce the risk of amputation by 45-85 percent.
Don’ts
1 ) Don’t use heating pads.
Heating pads, electric blankets, hot water bottles, or even extremely hot baths can all be relaxing and soothing, but for someone with diabetes, they can be dangerous. If you already have nerve cell damage, you may not be able to tell how hot a heating pad is, and you run the risk of burning your feet.
2 ) Don’t remove corns on your own.
It may be tempting to remove corns or calluses on your own. When you look down at your feet they’re probably an eye sore. Let a foot specialist remove your corns or calluses. If you don’t have much feeling in your foot, you may injure yourself.
3 ) Get your feet wet in snow or rain.
You may be thinking that this tip is more about comfort than health. It’s not. If you live in a cold area and get your feet wet, you increase the risk of frostbite. There is already a decreased blood flow to your feet, so your feet have a higher chance of experiencing damage.
See a Specialist
Like we said before, the most important “do” is to see a specialist regularly for exams. If you’d like to learn more about diabetic foot care or schedule an exam,contact us today!
