Diabetics: Step Up Your Foot Care Regimen

Maintaining proper care of your feet is important to everyone, but is especially vital if you suffer from diabetes. An appropriate foot care regimen is necessary for diabetics, as this disease has the potential to cause loss of feeling in the feet resulting from poor blood circulation. Small wounds and ulcers may go unnoticed, take longer than usual to heal, and can quickly become larger, more dangerous sores when not caught in time. A loss of sensation in the foot is the direct result of diabetic nerve damage.

These complications from diabetes may place you at risk for foot or even leg amputation. In order to lessen the prospect of acquiring foot wounds or infections due to damaged nerves, decreased circulation, bone abnormalities, and other complications, you can follow some steps for diabetic foot management.

Daily Steps For Healthy Feet

Cleanse: Wash your feet every day, using a mild soap. Be sure to dry them gently but thoroughly, particularly in between the toes.

Trim Toenails: Keep your toenails trimmed, cutting straight across. It’s easier to perform this task when your feet are wet, such as just after showering. If you have difficulty trimming your toenails, have your Atlanta podiatrist do it for you on a regular basis.

Moisturize: Massage a light coat of moisturizing lotion onto the tops and bottoms of your feet to minimize dryness and cracking that can cause skin infections. Avoid putting lotion between your toes, though.

Inspect: Check your bare feet at the same time every day, making it a daily habit. Since diabetics are prone to sores that might not be readily felt, look carefully for small cuts, blisters, reddened spots, scratches, or swelling. Be sure to inspect the tops and bottoms of your feet some parts are hard to see, ask someone to help you with this inspection regimen.

Footwear: Be sure your shoes aren’t pressing on any bony areas, causing discomfort. If you do have any joint or bone deformities, your Atlanta podiatrist can help you choose the right type of shoes for your condition. Always wear socks and shoes. Going barefoot increases your chance for cuts or injuries to your feet. Take a look inside your shoes before putting them on to ensure there’s nothing inside that may hurt your foot as you step into the footwear.

Protect: Guard your feet from temperature extremes. Don’t soak them in hot water, and do not use heating pads or electric blankets, as you can burn your feet without feeling how hot the skin is getting.

Improve Blood Circulation: Keep blood circulating to your feet to keep them healthy. When you sit, put your feet up on a footstool. A few times a day, wiggle your toes and move your ankles around for five minutes at a time. Keep your legs uncrossed when sitting and avoid smoking.

If you develop an ingrown toenail, it’s safest to have a professional take care of this issue if you are diabetic. American Foot and Leg Specialists in the South Atlanta Metro area will treat your ingrown nail, as well as any wound or bunion on your foot.

We have four convenient offices in Georgia, located in the South Atlanta area in Fayetteville, Forest Park, Locust Grove, and Stockbridge. Our patients come from Fulton County, Cobb County, Douglas County, Fayette County, Henry County, and Clayton County. Contact us today at American Foot and Leg Specialists for an appointment at your desired location.

Please note that this article does not take the place of professional medical advice. Please call our staff at American Leg and Foot Specialists with questions or speak with one of our physicians or an M.D. in your area if you have concerns.