What Is Diabetic Foot Care?
Diabetes can have adverse effects on your feet, as the condition (or lack of care for the condition) can restrict blood flow to your feet and extremities. Wounds and infections may take longer to heal, which can cause some severe infections to develop. Diabetic foot care aims to prevent various complications that may develop due to diabetes. At Horizon Foot & Ankle Institute, we provide a wide range of foot, ankle, and toe treatments.
What Does Diabetic Foot Care Involve?
If you have diabetes, you should review your lifestyle to follow the best practices to avoid adverse symptoms and outcomes. Foot care helps to prevent foot issues and complications. You can also identify problems before they become serious. Horizon Foot & Ankle Institute can help treat diabetic foot issues, including foot ulcers, poor circulation, and neuropathy. Here’s an overview of what diabetic foot care entails:
1. Daily Inspection
Diabetes can affect the nerves in your feet, causing you to lose sensations like pain. Since you can’t rely on your natural pain signals, daily inspection is critical. You should check for cuts, blisters, swelling, redness, nail problems, and other conditions. Inspect the bottom of your feet with a magnifying mirror and contact our doctors if you notice anything.
2. Use Lukewarm Water
Clean your feet daily, especially if you have diabetes. Reduced circulation means wounds take longer to heal, and infections are harder to deal with. Clean your feet daily, keep wounds and blisters protected, and follow your podiatrist’s instructions. Use warm water to wash or soak your feet; warm water promotes healthy blood flow and circulation. Overly hot or cold water shocks your nerves and blood vessels, which is not beneficial to your circulation.
3. Be Gentle & Careful
You should be gentle with your feet when bathing or grooming. Wash them with a sponge or soft cloth and dry them by parting or blotting. Be careful when drying the toes and cutting nails. Moisturize your feet but skip between your toes. Cut nails straight and file all edges. Keep the nails short enough to prevent ingrown toenails.
4. Protect Your Feet
You should wear clean, dry socks and change them daily to keep fungal infections at bay. Find socks designed for people with diabetes to leverage extra padding and moisture-wicking fibers. Wear socks to bed but avoid heating pads and hot water bottles. Check inside your shoes before wearing them to remove any pebbles and straighten folds that can cause discomfort. You should also keep your feet warm and dry and never walk barefoot.
5. Manage Your Diabetes
Taking care of your diabetes can reduce the impact the condition has on your feet. Do your best to keep your blood sugar under control and avoid smoking. Consult a doctor for any concerns and get periodic foot exams. Avoid treating corns and calluses alone. Contact our experienced podiatrists to help find the best solution so you can focus on managing diabetes.
Who Needs Diabetic Foot Care?
Anyone diagnosed with diabetes needs diabetic foot, ankle, and toe care. Diabetes can result in neuropathic conditions and poor circulation that leaves you vulnerable to serious issues. But many foot complications are preventable with professional diabetic care.
Daily foot care can help prevent complications by monitoring developments. Horizon Foot & Ankle Institute provides unparalleled expertise in the comprehensive treatment of all foot, ankle, and lower leg pathology. Our doctors, podiatrists, and surgeons can help you with diabetic care and other foot and ankle issues.
We can help you boost circulation to your feet, relieve pain, and treat neuropathy. If you have diabetes or notice wounds and infections that don’t heal, contact us for diabetic foot care.
When Should I Seek Diabetic Care?
If you have the symptoms or have been diagnosed with diabetes, follow the foot care guidelines as early as possible. The priority is to prevent injury, infections, and foot issues. Horizon Foot & Ankle Institute can help you diagnose foot conditions and provide diabetic care. Here are some reasons to seek prompt medical advice from our podiatrists:
You Feel No Pain
Diabetes and various other conditions can cause nerve damage. You may feel numbness, tingling, or pain. Other people lose the ability to feel heat, cold, or pain. If you’ve lost your natural sensations on your feet, speak to our doctors.
Changes In Physical Appearance
Seek a podiatrist if your feet change shape over time or your toenails become yellow/thickened. Dry, cracked skin and changes in foot color are other reasons to see a professional. Watch for hair loss on your lower legs, feet, and toes.
Stubborn Sores & Infections
If you notice fungus infections like athlete’s foot between your toes, our experienced podiatrists can help. We’ll also help you treat blisters, sores, ulcers, ingrown toenails, and infected corns.
If you’re looking for a reliable partner to treat foot issues, Horizon Foot & Ankle Institute is here to help. We treat many problems, from diabetic care to ingrown nails, bunions, hammertoes, arthritis, heel pain, and major deformities. Our team comprises podiatric surgeons, primary care physicians, and rehabilitation specialists ready to help you protect your feet, ankles, and lower legs.