Take Good Care of Your Feet

Managing diabetes is more than checking your blood sugar and changing your diet.Living with diabetes means being aware of how it can affect every aspect of your health, including your feet. Healthy feet do more than help you walk and move; they help keep out infections that maycompromise your overall health.

Less Feeling, Slower Healing

Highblood glucose from diabetes can lead to nerve damage and poor bloodflow to your feet. When nerves to the legs and feet are damaged, youmight not feel pain, heat or cold as you normally would. This lack offeeling is called diabetic neuropathy. In addition, poor blood flowslows the healing process, so it takes longer for a sore or infectionto heal. This problem is called peripheral vascular disease, and it ismade worse by smoking.

As a person with diabetes, you mayexperience loss of feeling in your feet, making it difficult to detectblisters or sores that need attention. Blisters and sores may gounnoticed and turn into ulcers or become infected, which could causeserious problems. Because your body's healing process may be slower,it's very important to seek medical attention as soon as you notice asore on your foot.

Put Your Feet First

Beingproactive about caring for your feet can make a big difference in yourquality of life, and the key is awareness every day. The following tipscan help keep your feet healthy:

&bull Check your feet every dayfor cuts, blisters, sores, swelling, redness or sore toenails. If youhave difficulty bending over to see your feet, use a mirror or asksomeone else to check your feet. If you see a wound or sore, try tostop further irritation to the area and see your doctor. He or she canprovide additional care if the wound is infected or requires specialattention.

&bull Wash your feet every dayin warm water. Make sure the water temperature is not too hot bytesting with your elbow, and always dry your feet well after washing,especially in between your toes.

&bull Apply lotion after washing if your feet are dry. Dry, cracked skin allows infection to get under the skin, so it helps to stay moisturized.

&bull File corns and calluses gently after a bath or shower. Filing too harshly or cutting at corns and calluses can harm your skin and feet.

&bull Keep toenails trim but not too short. Cut toenails when they are soft from washing.

&bull Always wear shoes or slippers- even around the house - to protect your feet from injury. Wear sockswith shoes to prevent blisters, but don't wear tight socks that may cutoff circulation.

&bull Wear shoes that fit well and are supportive. Check the insides of your shoes for sharp edges or objects before putting them on.