Diabetes may damage your feet; even a little cut can have adverse effects. Therefore, diabetic foot care is crucial. Diabetes may harm your nerves and rob you of sensations in your feet. Diabetes may also lessen blood flow to the feet, which makes it more difficult to heal wounds and fight off infections. Fortunately, Dr. Jeffrey E. McAlister provides diabetic foot care to protect your feet.
Here are tips to take care of your diabetic feet;
1. Examine your feet daily
Check your feet daily for wounds, redness, swelling, blisters, ulcers, and other infections. Diabetes complications like ulcers may be very challenging to cure. Any kind of foot injury, such as sores, ingrown toenails, corns or calluses, warm patches, warts, or athlete’s foot, should be promptly treated by a doctor. Try using a mirror if you cannot view the bottoms of your feet. You might also make a support request. Do not scratch any lesions you may discover, please.
2. Keep your feet dry
Incorporate drying your feet into your daily hygiene regimen. When skin becomes wet, it deteriorates and eventually becomes infected. Remove damp or sweaty socks and shoes immediately and dry them off properly after washing your feet to avoid this. Moisturizers are still helpful for preventing dry, cracked skin; just don’t apply them in the space between your toes.
3. Wear shoes both outdoors and indoors
Most people understand the importance of protecting one’s feet from the elements by always donning a sturdy pair of shoes when venturing outdoors. However, many forget that glass shards, splinters, and the occasional stray sewing needle or thumbtack can also threaten bare feet when pottering around the house. You may not realize the severity of these injuries until they get infected if you have neuropathy. Shoes should always be worn, even while lounging about the home.
4. Visit your podiatrist regularly
Ignoring calluses may lead to complications, no matter how little they seem. Instead of treating your bunion, callus, or corn at home with over-the-counter medications, see a podiatrist specializing in foot care as part of your diabetic healthcare team. Some of these solutions may irritate the skin and potentially increase the risk of infection.
5. Avoid using your feet to test hot water
Diabetes patients with neuropathy may not be able to recognize whether the water in the bathtub is excessively hot. Without realizing it, they will boil their flesh. Because burns and blisters are gateways to infection, you shouldn’t risk damaging your feet by jumping into a bath before verifying the temperature. Before you get into the shower or tub, use your elbow to test the temperature.
6. Quit smoking
Smoking is terrible for your whole body, from the head to the bottom of your feet. Smoking cigarettes reduces blood flow to your feet, cutting off the supply of oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood that helps prevent infection and maintains your feet healthy. The blood vessels of diabetic individuals are already compromised due to other risk factors. The time to quit smoking is now.
Caring for your feet is a good way for people with diabetes to remain moving and maintain a healthy routine.
Call Phoenix Foot and Ankle Institute to book an appointment for diabetic foot care.
