Diabetes reduces the flow of blood to your feet and can result in nerve damage. Consequently, an important part of living with diabetes is learning how to properly care for your feet. A failure to do so can result in serious infections and ulcers. In severe cases, tissue damage can even result in the need to amputate a toe or even your entire foot. Thankfully, most diabetics will be able to avoid these serious problems by taking just a few basic steps each day to ensure their feet are properly cared for.
Keep Your Feet Clean And Dry
High moisture levels are essential to the growth of many different types of fungus and bacteria. This fungus is often the cause of foot infections and severe tissue damage. Therefore, it is extremely important to always keep your feet clean and dry.
When washing your feet, always use warm water and a mild soap. This will allow you to kill many of the germs that settle on the surface of the skin without causing your skin to become dry and brittle.
After thoroughly washing your feet, be sure to dry the entire foot. Pay special attention to the skin between your toes as this area of the foot is especially prone to bacteria and fungus.
Give Your Feet Time To Breathe
While wearing a comfortable pair of shoes is an important part of protecting your feet from damage, you should never wear shoes for too long at any given time. This is because without the ability to breathe, sweat can buildup inside your socks and shoes ultimately leading to high moisture levels.
When choosing a pair of shoes, look for footwear that is easy for you to take off and put back on quickly. This will allow you to quickly take your shoes off, let your feet breathe for a few minutes, and put your shoes back on before anyone even notices. This is especially important if you work in an environment where you cannot take your shoes off for more than a minute or two at a time.
Communicate With Your Podiatrist
Take the time to carefully inspect your feet each day. Look for any signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, or skin that feels warm to the touch. You should also look for blisters, cracking skin, and sores.
If you notice any changes in your feet, it is always best to report these changes to your podiatrist as soon as possible. This will allow you to find the best course of treatment before the problem gets serious. Remember, even a small issue with your feet can turn severe relatively quickly due to the lack of blood flow caused by diabetes. Therefore, you should never delay when communicating with your podiatrist regarding changes to the health of your feet. Contact a local doctor, such as Michael Scanlon DPM, if you have questions.
Share9 May 2015
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