For anyone with Diabetes, taking good care of your feet should be a high priority. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure – and for a diabetic, that’s doubly true.
Some of the best information we’ve found is on the Joslin Diabetes Center Diabetic Foot Care page (affiliated with Harvard Medical School)
Here’s what they recommend:
Check your feet every day!
Foot problems can literally develop overnight. It is essential to check your feet daily for the following:
- Cuts, blisters or sores
- Change in temperature (hot or cold)
- Change in color (pale, red, blue)
- Swelling
- Pain
- Dry cracking skin
- Sweaty skin
- Athletes foot or other rashes
- Signs and symptoms of infection
- Corns and calluses
Call your doctor, podiatrist or other healthcare provider for:
- Routine foot care such as toenail trimming
- Treatment for warts, corns, or calluses
- For any of the following conditions:
- cuts (break in skin) that has not healed in 2 days
- blisters or sores
- infection
- change in temperature of the skin or tissue or if the area around a wound becomes very warm
- swelling
- pain
- changes in skin color
How to take care of your feet
- Look at your feet every day. Make sure there are no cuts or red areas. Use a mirror to see the bottom of your feet.
- Don’t soak your feet. Wash them well with mild soap and water every day. Dry them very well, including between the toes.
- Don’t go barefoot.
- Wear shoes that fit well.
- Buy socks designed to keep your feet comfortable (padded, minimal seams, not too tight).
- Use lotion on your feet, but not between the toes.
- Do not cut your toenails. File them instead, or have them trimmed by a foot doctor.
- If you have poor circulation, nerve damage, or very thick toenails, see a foot doctor regularly. Also see a foot doctor if you have corns, calluses, or bunions.
- If you do get a cut or scratch, take care of it right away. Wash it with mild soap and warm water. Use a mild ointment. Cover with gauze and paper tape or a fabric bandage. Make sure to change this often.
- Call your healthcare provider right away if the area does not heal or gets red or has any drainage.