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When you have diabetes, your feet need extra care and attention to ensure their healthy. Diabetes can damage the nerve endings and blood vessels in your feet, making you less likely to notice you're your feet are injured. It can also interfere with your body's ability to fight infection. Even the smallest foot injury can develop into a serious infection when you have diabetes. Diabetes causes a condition of painful nerve damage called peripheral neuropathy. Damage to the nerves can cause the loss of feeling in your feet, making it difficult to detect extreme temperatures and pain as easily or readily as someone who does not have diabetes. Caring for your feet is easy and majority of your care can be completed when you are bathing or getting ready for bed. Preventing injury to your feet is merely a matter of wearing properly fitted shoes and socks at all times. Understanding the connection between foot care and diabetes is important to avoid more serious health problems. If you are diabetic, talk to your podiatrist in Sycamore about the best ways to care for your feet. Inspect Your Feet Regularly If you have diabetes, it's crucial to examine your feet every day and after every injury, regardless of how minor you may think the injury is. If you notice redness, swelling, persistent pain, numbness, tingling or any other unusual signs on any part of your foot, call your podiatrist immediately as this could signify serious health problems. It's also recommended that people with diabetes see a podiatrist for annual checkups. A professional podiatrist can detect signs of changes, broken skin or ulcers that can be detrimental to the health of your feet and body. He can also check your blood circulation, identify loss of sensation or detect areas of high pressure- all of which require professional medical attention. Keep Your Feet Healthy with Proper Foot Hygiene Everyone needs to practice good foot hygiene daily, but people with diabetes should pay extra attention to keeping their feet clean in order to prevent health problems. If you have diabetes: * Wash your feet daily with lukewarm water and mild soap, making sure to dry them thoroughly, especially between the toes.
* Keep the skin on your feet smooth and soft by applying a non-irritating moisturizer, avoiding the areas between the toes. Doing so can help prevent cracks and sores that lead to infection.
* Avoid ingrown toenails than can get infected by keeping them neatly trimmed straight across.
* Wear clean, dry socks and change them every day.
* Avoid walking barefoot to protect feet from harmful foreign particles.
* Never attempt to remove corns, calluses or other sores from your feet on your own. See a podiatrist for safe and pain free removal. Early detection, simple care and regular inspections can go a long way to avoid serious foot complications related to diabetes. Diabetes is serious, especially when it comes to your feet. If you have diabetes, talk with your podiatrist in Memphis about what you can do now to keep your feet safe, strong, and healthy.
Dr. Nathan Lucas of Advanced Foot and Ankle Care of Memphis, LLC is a leading Memphis podiatrist. He is a board certified foot surgeon specializing in reconstructive, revisional and cosmetic foot and ankle surgery. Services include the treatment of heel pain, fungal toenails and CoolTouch in Memphis, TN.
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