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Home Tag: "diabetic foot care" (Page 5)

Tag: diabetic foot care

Close-up of a person's foot with healthy skin and toenails.
4Dec

 

With the onset of winter months, diabetes patients should take special care of their feet. It is known that diabetes patients are prone to poor blood circulation along with some nerve problems. They should take decision depending on the changes they notice. Without delay, it is better to consult a doctor to get a suitable treatment and maintaining your feet during the winter days. Read the following part to know better about how patients should maintain foot health during winter days.

coldfootcare

Keeping dry feet

Rain or snow can make your feet damp. The moisture collected from socks, toes and feet can result in bacteria that further leads to infection. Therefore, patients suffering from diabetes should frequently change their socks and rub feet with dry towel to prevent the infection problem. Also, they should pay attention to the place in between the toes. 

Maintaining moisturized feet

If you are keeping shoes dry to prevent bacteria formation, keeping your feet dry is also important. By moisturizing your feet, your feet will remain smooth. This shall reduce the risk of cracking that further results into wound. In this case, you can take suggestion from your doctor to get the right foot lotion that shall help to keep it moisturized. It is recommended to use it after bathing to prevent feet dryness.

Avoid direct heat contact to your feet

To reduce the problem of dryness of your feet and chance of feet burning, turn to keep it away from direct heat exposure. As diabetes can cause nerve damage in your feet, it may not be possible to keep your feet warm during winter months. Also, direct hot water on should not be used on diabetic feet. Instead, they should check the temperature of water before using it. Also, they should prevent use of warm items such as electric blankets, heating pads, heated shoe inserts and the like.

Choosing the right shoes

Though choosing the right winter shoe may seem to be a daunting task. But with diabetes choosing the perfect pair shall help keep your feet in good condition. The wrong shoe can make your feet even worse making it too dry during the cold weather. 

Opt for periodic foot checkup from surgeon

By going through periodic check from foot and ankle surgeon, it will be easy to prevent foot issues. A regular checkup from foot and ankle surgeon shall help to prevent the chances of foot issues. Therefore, with suitable foot care from a diabetic foot doctor, diabetes patients can reduce the chances of different foot problems. With regular visits, you can keep an eye on any changes that you notice in your feet. Thus, with the suitable treatment, the doctor can help to keep your feet in good condition even during cold weather.

Wrapping it up

Meeting a foot and ankle surgeon shall be of immense help for diabetes patients to keep your feet safe. Inside of remaining inside your home all winter, it is better to consult your doctor in advance for the right guidance.

Podiatrist applying cream to a patient's foot for foot health.
13Nov

It is important to treat the foot injuries right away if you suffer from diabetes because even the smallest wounds can quickly turn serious. The wounds lead to sores and ulcers when left untreated and that can mean losing the foot, or in extreme cases, the entire leg. The problem is further compounded by the fact that wounds take longer to heal in people suffering from diabetes because of the poor blood flow to the feet. There’s also an onset of nerve damage, called neuropathy, which stops any feeling in the feet. Since you are unable to feel anything in your feet, you will not even get to know that you are hurt. So, even the minor cuts can quickly turn into something major.

 

Podiatrist applying cream to a patient's foot for foot health.

The best thing you can do to avoid wounds is to take the preventive approach by keeping the feet protected and healthy. Here are the top four ways through which you can do that:

Run regular checks on your feet

If you have lost sensations on your feet due to diabetes, you will have to check your feet daily to know if something is wrong. It might be hard for you to check the bottom of your feet. In that case, use a mirror or ask a friend or your spouse to help you out.

Wash and dry your feet properly

At the time of taking a bath, you should soap the feet with lukewarm water and dry them well with a soft towel. Make sure to dry between and behind your toes. Moisture that stays trapped there can be harmful because it can lead to sores. Use creams and lotions to make sure that the skin of your feet is adequately hydrated because sores might also develop from the dryness of your feet.

Comfort comes first

Keep in your mind that comfort is the key to making your feet happy. Wear comfortable footwear and soft socks to keep the feet cushioned. Narrow, pointy shoes with high heels are not for your delicate feet. Your doctor might ask you to wear special shoes. Otherwise, you can wear something with added padding, like sneakers, to keep the feet comfortable.

Trimming the toenails

It is important for people with diabetes to see a podiatrist regularly. He will cut your toenails, if needed, as a part of foot wound care. Podiatrists, or foot doctors as they are popularly known as, usually do this for people who suffer from neuropathy or have had foot ulcers earlier. It is better to get your nails trimmed by an expert, rather than going to a salon, if you have diabetes.

If you get wounded accidentally, cleanse it first under running water. Put antibiotic ointment on the wound and cover it with a clean bandage. Visit your nearest podiatrist as soon as you can for further treatment.

If you are looking for quality diabetic wound care from experienced podiatrists, you can get in touch with DeNiel Foot & Ankle Center. You will find effective treatment under the careful supervision of the experts.