How to properly care for your Diabetic Feet
Diabetic foot care is a condition that must be taken care of on a daily basis. The impact that diabetes can have on a body can change people’s lives on a daily basis, whether it is your diet, routine or more.
In order to take careful control of diabetes, taking care of your feet is imperative. Our feet are vulnerable to complications involving diabetes. It is important to be proactive in your foot care as soon as you are diagnosed with this disease.
What Makes Diabetes Dangerous to your Feet?
Our feet are considered to be the “front lines” of our body since they are the first part to make contact with the ground and support our weight day after day. Diabetes can make it difficult by interfering with how our feet sense injuries and recover from harm.
Diabetes are detrimental to your feet as they interfere with circulation throughout the body by blocking and damaging our blood vessels. The feet already struggle in receiving a strong blood flow compared to every other part of the body.
With restricted blood flow, your feet will receive even less nutrients and growth factors. These components are imperative in repairing cuts and wounds on your feet which means that they can take longer to heal or in some cases, may not heal without the help of medical support.
Diabetes can also damage and interfere with our nerves, which is also known as neuropathy. As nerves become damaged in the feet, it can cause a range of sensations - tingling, burning, sharp pain. The worst pain that someone can experience is loss or sensation or complete numbness.
As sensation is lost, the ability to feel damage decrease which greatly increases the risk of injury. For example, a simple cut could open into a sore or ulcer, which could lead to a severe foot infection and amputation. By taking a preventative approach to diabetic foot care, many of these situations can be easily avoided.
What Does Diabetic Foot Care Look Like?
Fortunately, taking care of your feet with diabetes is not a complicated task. It just takes a bit of time, some forethought, and sometimes some special items. One of the most important measures you can take is inspecting your feet every day on a daily basis for signs of trouble. When inspecting your feet, you should look for the following:
Cuts
Sores
Discolorations in skin or toenails
Along with daily foot inspection, it is important to proactively treat your feet. This involves the following:
Managing your diabetes in general: we recommend tracking your blood sugar, maintain a healthy diet, and exercise.
Wearing diabetic shoes and socks: these shoes and socks come in a variety of styles and are designed to reduce irritation and pressure against the feet as much as possible, reducing “hot spots” that can produce sores.
Addressing general problems early: This includes keeping your feet clean daily, moisturizing and addressing skin problems that arise. In some cases, treatment may depend on the severity and circumstances surrounding the problem.
While there is plenty you can do on your own for diabetic foot care, we also recommend periodic check-ins with your friendly foot doctor to help you identify problems that may have been overlooked. By addressing these cases quickly and effectively, you can ensure long-term comfort and mobility. Should you have any questions, please contact our team here to set up an appointment online, by email at info@riverpodiatry.com or by phone at (845) 735-8440.
