Diabetic Foot Care – Your Footcare Guideline

Diabetic foot care is essential for those with high blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, you may experience issues with your feet and legs, two of the disease’s most prevalent consequences. Diabetes increases your risk of calluses, blisters, bunions, corns, and ulcers, and high blood sugar means even minor injuries and changes can turn into gateways to potentially crippling illnesses.

Diabetes can increase the risk of foot infections, like corns and ulcers. Diabetes is also a leading cause of foot amputation around the world. Diabetes can also cause Neuropathy, leading to loss of sensation in the feet. In this article, we will talk about 11 diabetic foot care tips to protect you from foot infections and other foot diseases.

The body requires energy to process daily activities. Insulin helps cells use sugar for energy by absorbing it from the bloodstream. The procedure does not work correctly if the body develops insulin resistance or cannot create enough insulin, resulting in sugar circulating in the blood. Sugar in the blood for lengthy periods can harm various body sections, with the feet and legs being the most vulnerable. Diabetes is among the leading causes of amputations around the globe.

How Can Diabetes Harm The Feet?

You must be aware that diabetes can harm your peripheral nerves. Furthermore, the damage impairs one’s capacity to feel pain, cold, or heat. It means that if you have a foot injury or walk all day with a stone in your shoe, you will not experience pain. Furthermore, nerve injury might alter the shape of your toes and foot. Neuropathy is the medical term for this illness.

Neuropathy is the reason for the dry skin reported by many persons with diabetes. When your feet are dry, they crack, allowing pathogens to enter your body. Calluses and bunions form due to friction, which can wear down the skin and expose it to bacteria. Diabetes can also cause blood vessels to constrict and harden, making it difficult to fight infection of the feet. The symptoms of Neuropathy can lead to dangerous infections. After all, you won’t be able to detect cuts, sores, or agony if you have no sensation in your feet.

A person can apply lotion to manage these symptoms. However, you should avoid putting it between your toes because it could encourage fungus to form. Soaking your feet, on the other hand, is not a wise idea if you have diabetes.

There are various options for painful, sensitive feet that you may encounter during your diabetes journey. Continue reading for 11 diabetic foot care tips to help you manage your sickness with proper care.

Regular Foot Inspection

Nerve damage is a diabetic consequence that makes it challenging to detect ulcers or cracks in the feet. Regularly inspecting your feet is the best way to achieve proper diabetic foot care. Look for any changes in color, lesions, or dry, cracked skin if you are a diabetic patient. If you can’t see all areas of your feet clearly, place a mirror on the floor or contact a friend or relative for assistance.

Maintaining Sugar Levels

Proper diabetic foot care begins with maintaining adequate sugar levels. You must try to control your sugar level with a good diet, exercise, and taking medicines on time. The ideal sugar levels should be less than 130 mg per dL before eating and around 180 mg per dL after food.

Never Test Water With Feet

It might be difficult to discern if the bathwater is boiling when persons with diabetes suffer nerve damage or Neuropathy. They will be unaware that they are searing their skin. Stepping into a bath without first testing the temperature might result in serious injury to your feet, as burns and blisters are infection-prone. Always use your elbow instead of your foot to check the water before entering the tub or shower.

Wear Diabetes-Friendly Footwear

Patients with diabetes must take more care while purchasing shoes and socks for themselves. Make sure to buy shoes with extra depth in the toe area and without any seams. Seams present inside the shoes may rub against your feet, causing injury. Similarly, you should purchase socks without seams as well. The best thing to do is to wear cotton socks or materials that can absorb moisture.

Always Keep Your Feet Dry

The key to proper diabetic foot care is dry feet. You should always keep a towel with you to regularly dry your feet. Moist skin is prone to breaking, causing several diseases. Always dry your feet after washing and remove wet socks and shoes. Patients with Neuropathy may fail to notice these problems, which can later lead to significant infections. Also, make sure that your feet are not too dry by applying proper foot creams.

Never Stay Barefoot

Most people understand the need to wear shoes with good coverage outside to protect their feet. But even within the house, walking around without shoes exposes your feet to minor cuts and scratches. Penetration from fragments, a lost sewing needle or thumbtack, and glass shards are also quite common. As a result, it is best to have your shoes on at all times, even when you’re at home.

Wear Orthotic Shoes

Orthotic footwear is a terrific investment for protecting the feet and providing comfort. You can find shoes explicitly designed for people with diabetes in specialty stores and online, or you can seek assistance from your podiatrist. Doctors usually recommend such shoes for healing sores and ulcers in diabetic patients. It is also the best and most comfortable diabetic foot care method.

Visit A Podiatrist Regularly

Even seemingly harmless calluses can become problematic if you ignore them. Instead of going to the pharmacy for an over-the-counter foot product, see a podiatrist. They are doctors who specialize in foot care and will help you set up a proper diabetic foot care routine. As a result, it is essential to consult a podiatric before undergoing any foot care treatments.

Avoid Smoking

The risks of smoking extend down to your toes. Cigarette smoke contains toxins that damage and contract your blood vessels. It can deprive your feet of the nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood that fights illness and keeps the vessels healthy. People with diabetes already have risk factors that put their blood vessels in danger. Smoking may increase those risks exponentially. Therefore, people who have diabetes must quit smoking immediately.

Do Not Put Pressure On The Feet

Regular exercise is beneficial to those with diabetes. However, many fitness classes and aerobics programs involve bouncing, jumping, and leaping, which may harm your feet. It is particularly true if you suffer from Neuropathy. Instead, look for programs that put less pressure on your feet, such as swimming or walking. Just make sure you’re wearing the appropriate footwear for your chosen activity.

Regular Check-Ups

If you’re looking for ideas for the proper diabetic foot care, talk to your doctor. Also, if you detect any changes in your feet that concern you, you should immediately schedule an appointment with your doctor.