Don't Let Diabetes Get the Upper Hand

The occurrence of diabetic foot ulcers is fairly common. Left untreated the wound site may not heal, becomes infected and ultimately results in amputation of toes or feet or worse. The sad situation is that such wounds can be treated and healing is relatively straightforward. Much of the difficulty occurs when a diabetic patient has lost feeling in the extremities from diabetic neuropathy and the ulcer site goes unnoticed.

The patient and caregivers need to be alert to foot damage and careful examination of the feet is a mandatory daily routine. Sores or cuts resulting from minor trauma during walks, scraping your foot, stepping on objects, putting your feet in hot water, cutting your toenails incorrectly, wearing shoes that don't fit properly), are all entry sites where infection can start. Loss of sensation in the feet may be a contributing factor in overlooking injuries of this type.

If you have diabetes, it is important for you to monitor for any injuries to your feet that you might not feel. See your medical practitioner regularly and have your feet checked.

Make sure that you take your diabetes medications as prescribed. Watch your diet and maintain an appropriate exercise regimen.

On a daily basis examine your feet for cuts, sores, red spots, swelling, and infected toenails. If you have a problem seeing the complete foot, use a mirror. If it needs to be a magnifying mirror, obtain one. If problems detected do not heal after one day, call your health provider.

Basic foot care includes:

Wash your feet daily using warm water. Dry well. Use lotion or cream. A product containing shea butter is a good moisturizer for calloused foot areas.

Your socks and shoes should be of breathable fabrics and construction. They should provide cushioning and fit well.

After daily washing, drying and moisturizing, practice a few minutes of toe wiggling to improve blood flow. Keep your feet warm. Don't sit with your legs crossed but sit with your feet up and unrestricted as far as possible. Wear slippers around the house.

Tim Moss is the webmaster of http://www.explorediabetesneuropathy.com, a site covering the pain and damage resulting from diabetes

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