Diabetes And Foot Care 101If you have diabetes taking care of your feet should be every day task just like brushing your teeth and combing your hair. Daily feet inspections can help you avoid many complications that can occur to the feet of a person with diabetes. One such complication is an ulcer, which is a sore or break in the skin. Ulcers often occur on the soles of the foot, on the toes, or on the heels. How can diabetes affect your feet? If you have diabetic neuropathy the nerves that carry messages to and from your brain can be
affected. These are the nerves that let you know if you have touch something hot or sharp. If you have diabetic neuropathy you might
have a loss of awareness of pain. Or you may not be able to feel extreme temperatures. You might step on a tack or a
piece of glass and not even realize it. You could also burn your feet and not feel pain. This can lead to an injury not getting
treated. DIABETIC NEUROPATHY AND THE FEETDiabetic neuropathy can also keep you from knowing your shoes don't fit. If your feet are rubbing against your shoes a patch of skin can blister which can lead to a sore or an ulcer. An ulcer is usually very painful, but diabetic neuropathy can keep you from feeling it. What was, at first, a trivial injury could become a serious condition that could possible lead to gangrene or amputation. Nerve damage can also cause your feet to change its shape. The ball of your foot might become more prominent. The arch of your
foot might get higher and your toes might curl up. These changes in your feet may lead to more pressure being placed on certain parts of
your feet. These parts will then be more likely to develop a corn or callus, which can make these areas vulnerable to injury. VASCULAR DISEASE AND THE FEETVascular disease is another complication of diabetes. This complication affects the blood vessels that carry blood to all the parts
of your body. If you have vascular disease this will cause the supply of blood sent to your feet to diminish. This may cause sores or
ulcers to heal extremely Some diabetics are more susceptible to foot ulcers than others. It doesn't matter if you have Type I or Type II diabetes. These are some of the high-risk categories: a) you've had a foot ulcer in the past b) you've had laser treatment to your eyes c) you have neuropathy d) you are over 60 years of age e) you have kidney disease f) you have vascular damage HAVE YOUR FEET EXAMINED
CHECK YOUR FEET NOW Want to check your feet right now? Remove your shoes and socks so you can examine both feet. If you can't reach or see your feet, ask a relative or friend to help you, or you can use a mirror. Look at your feet, on top and underneath. Look at your heels and between your toes. Check for any swelling, red areas, breaks, cuts, cracks, blisters or hard skin. Compare one foot with the other. Feel the temperature of your feet with both hands. If one of your feet is much warmer or
cooler than the other this could be a symptom of something being wrong. A very warm foot could be a signal that the foot is infected so you
should tell your doctor about it as soon as you can. If a foot is very cold that could be a sign that the blood supply in your feet
has been affected. Tell your doctor. You can't treat a foot problem like this yourself. PREVENTING SOME TYPES OF FOOT DAMAGE
If your skin is very dry use a moisturizing cream to keep it supple and to prevent cracking. Put the cream on your feet and legs, but
don't put it between your toes. If you trim your toenails, trim them following the natural line of your toes. If you can't cut them
yourself, let a podiatrist do CHOOSING SHOES AND SOCKS
Make sure your shoes fit you well. Don't worry about what's in fashion. Lace-up shoes are a good buy because they can adjust to the shape of your feet. They can also be loosened if your feet are swollen. Try to get shoes that have a broad, low heel so the weight of your feet are distributed evenly. Make sure you can wiggle your toes in your shoes. The soles of your shoes should be thick enough to cushion your feet and not allow thumbtacks or nails to penetrate to your feet. When you're trying on shoes make sure you don't have to squash your feet to get them on. The shoes should be the correct width, length and depth. Here's one easy way to make sure a shoe fits. Stand on a sheet of paper and draw the outlines of your feet. Cut out the outlines. Bring the outlines to the shoe store and put the shoes you want to buy on top of the cutouts. Do parts of the cutouts stick outbeyond the shoes? If so, the shoes you want to buy are too small, or they're not the right shape. You may even want to check the shoes you're currently wearing against the cutouts to see if they're the right fit. If your feet have changed shape due to neuropathy you'll need a deeper shoe to accommodate your feet and toes. You need this extra depth to guard against them being rubbed. If you have neuropathy you might not be able to judge the fit of your shoe by feel. If you have neuropathy, you might feel that a shoe that fits you correctly is too loose. Break in any new shoes gradually. Only wear them for an hour or two at first and always inspect your feet afterward to make sure they haven't been damaged by the shoes. Take your hand and feel inside your shoes before you put them on. Make sure there are no small stones or other objects inside that can damage your feet. Check for items such as paper clips, coins, safety pins, and keys. Make sure the lining inside your shoes are smooth. There should be no rough seams or ridges. Do this each time you put your shoes on. You may need to get new insoles that can help spread the weight of your foot evenly. Insoles can help relieve pressure on vulnerable areas of your foot. Your shoe should have enough room to accommodate the insole and your foot. Socks can cause problems too. Make sure your socks fit. There shouldn't be any holes in them. Your toe can protrude through a hole and get damaged. Try to choose socks that don't have thick ridges. If the socks have thick ridges turn them inside out. When you're putting your socks on pull them on gently, or roll them on. If you yank when you put your socks on you might catch a toenail and rip it off without knowing it. Some people use padded sports socks. They cushion your feet, provide protection and can help reduce callus build-up. These
socks are thicker than normal socks and may cost a bit more, but the protection they give is better than a thinner sock. If you buy padded
sport socks make sure your shoe is large enough to accommodate both your foot and the sock. BLISTERS AND ULCERS
If you do need to be put in the hospital for an ulcer follow your doctors orders. If you have been told to stay in bed, do it. Try to resist the temptation to get out of bed since doing that could make the ulcer worse. You may have to take antibiotics. At home you may take them by mouth. If you're in the hospital you might take them by intravenous drip. Some ulcers are treated by putting the foot in a cast. These casts are similar to those used for broken ankles and are made of plaster of paris and fiberglass. They prevent pressure from being placed under the ulcer and allow you to walk around while the ulcer is healing. If an operation is required this may involve removal of any infected or dead bone and/or flesh. If gangrene is present, the toe or part of the foot might have to be amputated. Once a skin ulcer is healed it's important to take care of the foot to try to make sure it doesn't happen again. The first few weeks are vital since the new skin is very delicate and can break down easily. It only takes a few minutes each day to check your feet and give them the attention they need. Many foot complications can be prevented by being careful and observant, so check your feet today.
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