Proper Foot Care for Diabetic Patients
One of the most common reasons diabetics seek medical treatment is for their feet. Diabetes can cause nerve damage called diabetic neuropathy in your feet, preventing you from feeling pain, heat, cold or injuries. It can also cause poor blood flow, called peripheral vascular disease, that makes it difficult for sores and infections to heal. These problems can cause serious damage to your feet, so you need to take special care to keep them healthy.
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Foot Problems That Cause Infection
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Blisters are caused by wearing shoes without socks or wearing shoes that don't fit right, which makes shoes rub against your feet in the same spot. Thick layers of skin called calluses and corns develop when there's too much pressure on the same spot. When you trim your toenails wrong or wear shoes so tight that an edge of your toenail grows into your skin, you develop ingrown toenails. Athlete's foot is a fungus that can cause skin on your feet to crack. Nerve damage and poor blood flow can cause your feet to become so dry they develop cracks. All these foot problems can cause infection that can't heal because not enough blood gets to your feet.
Foot Conditions
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Hammertoes form when nerve damage weakens a foot muscle, changing the shape of your foot and causing tendons to shorten and make your toes curl under. Plantar warts that usually appear on the bottom of your foot are caused by a virus. Bunions form when the area between bones at the base of your big toe becomes enlarged.
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Prevention/Solution
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Check your feet every day for blisters, calluses, sores, cuts, swelling and color change. Wash your feet in warm water and dry them thoroughly. If skin is dry, rub lotion on your feet. File corns and calluses carefully with an emery board after showering. Cut toenails when they're soft at least once a week. Never go barefoot, always wear socks and shoes that fit well and ask your doctor to examine your feet at each checkup.
Diabetic Shoes
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Many diabetics wear special shoes that are made to fit gently around feet that change shape or are painful. They help protect your feet, but they are very expensive, so you might want to be fitted with shoe inserts called orthotics instead. Some insurance programs pay for special shoes and orthotic inserts, but many will only cover one pair per lifetime, so check with your insurance company to find out what is covered.
Blood Sugar Control
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One of the biggest parts of proper foot care for diabetics to to keep your blood sugar tightly under control. High and fluctuating blood sugar levels worsen nerve damage and vascular disease, and if an infection sets in, high glucose feeds the infection and makes it worse. Infection that causes gangrene to set in kills tissue and leads to amputation. Eat foods low on the glycemic index such as most vegetables, fruits, protein, whole grains and low-fat dairy. Control your weight and do non-impact exercises that won't harm your feet, such as swimming, bike riding, and yoga. Don't smoke, as it makes all diabetes problems worse.
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