Diabetes: Taking Care of Your Feet
Introduction
When you have
diabetes, your feet need extra care and attention.
Diabetes can damage the nerve endings and blood vessels in your feet, making you
less likely to notice when your feet are injured. Diabetes can also interfere with
your body's ability to fight infection. If you develop a minor foot injury, it
could become an
ulcer or develop into a serious infection.
Ulcers can be found on the bottom of your feet, or on the top or bottom of your
toes. With good foot care, you can prevent most of these problems.
Caring for your feet is easy. Most of the care can be done when you are
bathing and getting ready for bed. Preventing injury to your feet is merely a
matter of wearing properly fitted shoes and socks at all times.
These steps can help keep your feet healthy:
- Examine your feet every day. And have your
doctor examine your feet during every visit.
- Check your shoes for
any loose objects or rough edges before you put them on.
- Look at
foot care as part of your daily routine. Soon it will become as automatic as
brushing your teeth.
- Don't use home remedies to treat foot
problems. Home remedies can hurt your feet. Over-the-counter medicine designed
to remove calluses could contain chemicals that could burn your skin. Also,
trying to cut corns or calluses yourself could lead to infections.
- Get early treatment for any foot problem, even a minor one.
Because you have diabetes, your feet need special attention. One
important way to care for your feet is to prevent injury by wearing shoes at
all times, even when you are indoors. You can develop the habit of being
cautious with your feet, avoiding anything that can cause possible injury,
pain, or discomfort.
Good foot care also involves getting medical
help early if a foot problem develops. Getting help for minor problems can
prevent serious complications, such as infections.
Good foot-care habits
Caring for your feet when
you have diabetes involves:
- Inspecting your feet daily. Every day, wash
your feet and carefully inspect the skin for blisters, corns, calluses, cuts,
cracks, or sores. Rub lotion on your feet, but not between your toes. Make sure
your feet are completely dry before putting on socks and shoes. Keep your nails
trimmed and filed straight across.
- Protecting your feet. Wear
properly fitted shoes at all times to protect your feet from injury. Don't use
a heating pad or hot water bottle to warm your feet.
- Having your
doctor check your feet during each visit. Avoid trying to treat an early foot
problem at home. Home remedies or treatments you can buy without a prescription
(such as corn removers) can be harmful. Most foot problems need to be treated
by your doctor.
- Getting early treatment for foot problems. A minor
irritation can lead to a major problem if it is not properly cared for
early.
Test Your Knowledge
I need to inspect my feet daily for cuts, blisters,
and sores.
-
True
This answer is correct.
You need to inspect your feet daily for cuts,
blisters, and sores. You need to wash and carefully inspect your feet every
day. Even a minor problem, such as a blister, may lead to infection.
-
False
This answer is incorrect.
You do need to inspect your feet daily for cuts,
blisters, and sores. You need to wash and carefully
inspect your feet every day. Even a minor problem, such as a blister, may lead
to infection.
-
I check my feet every day, so my doctor doesn't need
to check my feet during each visit.
-
True
This answer is incorrect.
Although you check your feet every day, your
doctor also needs to check them during each visit.
-
False
This answer is correct.
Although you check your feet every day, your
doctor also needs to check them during each visit.
-
Continue to Why?
You need to care
for your feet because having diabetes for several years can:
- Damage the nerve endings in your feet. That
means that you may not know when your feet are injured. Also, if your shoes
don't fit properly, you may not feel any discomfort (even a blister). This
nerve damage caused by diabetes in some people can lead to deformed feet that
may not fit well into standard shoes.
- Damage blood vessels
throughout the body. Damage to the vessels that carry blood to the feet and
legs decreases blood flow to the feet. Small cuts, sores, and even ingrown
toenails take longer to heal and are more likely to become infected because of
the decreased blood flow to your feet.
- Affect your body's ability
to fight infection. Even a small cut may become seriously infected because your
immune system may not work as well as the immune system of someone who does not
have diabetes.
The best way to avoid foot problems is to prevent them.
That means taking care of your feet every day so that infections don't develop.
If you develop good foot-care habits before you have foot problems, you will
find it much easier to keep up the habit when you do have a problem.
You may not feel it when you have a small blister, cut, or scrape on your
foot. If you check your feet every day, you'll find minor problems earlier.
Have your doctor treat minor problems to prevent more serious ones later
on.
Test Your Knowledge
You need to care for your feet
because:
-
You can prevent foot infections from
developing.
This answer is correct.
You need to care for your feet because you can
prevent foot infections from developing. The best way to avoid foot problems is
to prevent them. Your daily habits to keep your feet in shape can prevent
infections.
-
You can prevent nerve damage caused by
diabetes.
This answer is incorrect.
Proper foot care cannot prevent nerve damage
caused by diabetes. You need to care for your feet
because you can prevent foot infections from developing. The best way to avoid
foot problems is to prevent them. Your daily habits to keep your feet in shape
can prevent infections.
-
Continue to How?
Here's how you can get
started caring properly for your feet.
-
Inspect your feet at least once a day. Look at all areas of your feet, including your toes. This
is the most important part of your foot care. You can use a handheld mirror or
magnifying mirror attached to the bathroom wall near the baseboard to inspect
your feet. If you can't see well, have someone assist you.
- Wash your
feet daily. Post the
steps for foot-washing and nail care in your bathroom. Refer
to the steps when you wash your feet so that they become a habit. Make sure you
dry your feet and toes well before putting on shoes and socks.
- Wear shoes
and socks that fit well. Soft shoes that have good support and that fit well
(such as tennis shoes) are best for your feet. Use the
checklist for shoes that fit well when you buy new
shoes. Break in new shoes slowly by wearing them for a few hours each day and
increasing the number of hours you wear them each week. Wear socks that do not
have seams.
- Protect your feet from injury. Before you put on your
shoes, check for objects (such as pebbles) or rough spots inside your shoes or
objects pushing through the soles. Inspect your feet for blisters, cuts, or
scrapes after activities such as hiking or skiing. If you can't see well, have
someone do this for you. Post a
list of precautions to protect your feet when you have diabetes in your
closet near your shoes.
- Ask your doctor to check your feet during
each visit. Your doctor may notice a foot problem you have missed. Take off
your shoes and socks while you are waiting for your doctor. This will help
remind your doctor to check your feet. Write down any minor problems or questions you may have
about foot care, and take this with you when you visit your
doctor.
- Get early treatment for foot problems. Call your doctor
even for minor foot problems, unless you have already learned from your doctor
how to handle these problems. Your doctor may refer you to a
podiatrist or
orthopedic surgeon if special treatment is needed. A
serious problem can develop from what seems like a minor irritation. If a foot
problem develops, you need to seek care early.
Test Your Knowledge
If you notice a callus developing on your foot, you
should:
-
Cut off the top of it with your knife.
This answer is incorrect.
If you notice a callus developing on your foot,
you should not cut off the top of it with your knife. Cutting your skin may
lead to an infection. Make a note about where the
callus is, and tell your doctor about it at your next visit. Don't try to
treat cuts, corns, warts, calluses, or ingrown toenails at home unless your
doctor has told you specifically how to treat them. Some home treatments can be
dangerous. If you think you have an infection or serious injury of your foot,
call your doctor for advice.
-
Treat it immediately with callus pads from the
drugstore.
This answer is incorrect.
Don't try to treat cuts, corns, warts,
calluses, or ingrown toenails at home unless your doctor has told you
specifically how to treat them. Some home treatments can be dangerous. If you notice a callus developing on your foot, make a note about where the callus is, and tell your
doctor about it at your next visit. If you
think you have an infection or serious injury of your foot, call your doctor
for advice.
-
Make a note about where it is, and tell your doctor
about it at your next visit.
This answer is correct.
If you notice a callus developing on your foot,
you should make a note about where it is, and tell your doctor about it at your
next visit. Don't try to treat cuts, corns, warts, calluses, or ingrown
toenails at home unless your doctor has told you specifically how to treat
them. Some home treatments can be dangerous. Talk with your doctor about the
problem you have during your next visit. If you think you have an infection or
serious injury of your foot, call your doctor for advice.
-
Soak your foot in hot, soapy water.
This answer is incorrect.
If you notice a callus developing on your foot,
don't soak your foot in hot, soapy water. You may not be able to tell
if the water is too hot, which may lead to skin damage. Instead, make a note about where the callus is, and tell your doctor about it at your
next visit. Don't try to treat cuts, corns, warts, calluses, or ingrown
toenails at home unless your doctor has told you specifically how to treat
them. Some home treatments can be dangerous. If you think you have an infection
or serious injury of your foot, call your doctor for advice.
-
Continue to Where?
Now that you have read this
information, you are ready to start caring properly for your feet.
Talk with your doctor
If you have questions about
this information, take it with you when you visit your health professional. You may want to write down anything you have questions about.
If after reading this information you think you may
have a foot problem that needs treatment, call your health professional for an
appointment.
Some communities have foot-care clinics. Ask your health
professional about foot-care clinics in your area.
If you would
like more information on foot care for people with diabetes, the following
resources are available:
Organization
|
American Diabetes Association (ADA)
|
| 1701 North Beauregard Street |
| Alexandria, VA 22311 |
| Phone: |
1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) |
| Email: |
AskADA@diabetes.org |
| Web Address: |
www.diabetes.org |
| |
|
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is a national organization
for health professionals and consumers. Almost every state has a local office.
ADA sets the standards for the care of people with diabetes. Its focus is on
research for the prevention and treatment of all types of diabetes. ADA
provides patient and professional education mainly through its publications,
which include the monthly magazine Diabetes Forecast,
books, brochures, cookbooks and meal planning guides, and pamphlets. ADA also
provides information for parents about caring for a child with diabetes.
|
|
Return to topic:
Credits
|
By
|
Healthwise Staff |
|
Primary Medical Reviewer
|
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine |
|
Specialist Medical Reviewer
|
Jennifer Hone, MD - Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism |
|
Last Revised
|
June 29, 2011 |
Last Revised:
June 29, 2011