Latest News:

Home \ Service Categories \ Feet Problems \ Diabetes Foot Care

Diabetes Foot Care

Why the foot is so important to those with diabetes:
The foot is especially affected by diabetes because:
* diabetes damages the nerves (damage can occur to the foot and not be detected) - this is called peripheral neuropathy.
* diabetes also affects circulation. Poor circulation can affect the ability of the body to heal when damage occurs.
* those with diabetes are more prone to infection .
* diabetes can also affect the joints, making them stiffer
Other diabetes complications that can also affect the foot include kidney disease (affects proteins that are involved in wound healing) and eye disease (can't see the foot to check for damage).
As a consequence of these factors, a number of things can go wrong:
* the foot may get damaged and you do not know about it because of the peripheral neuropathy - you cannot heal very well due to the infection and poor circulation.
* foot ulcers are common.
* infections can spread.
* the ultimate result of this process is an amputation. Diabetes is the main cause of amputations.

Charcot's Joints is another complication of diabetes in the foot, especially if peripheral neuropathy is present - the neuropathy causes a numbness (imagine spraining your ankle and not knowing you have done this). You will continue to walk on it - imagine the damage that this would do. This is what happens in a Charcot foot.

The do's and don'ts of foot care if you have diabetes:
If you have diabetes, there are a lot of things you need to do to prevent problems from developing in your foot:

1) Wash your feet daily (use a mild soap and lukewarm water). Dry very carefully, especially between the toes. It often helps to use talcum powder to dust the foot to further reduce moisture. However, be certain to remove all the powder after dusting, as it should not leave a residue between the toes. If the skin is dry, use a good emollient - but, not between the toes.

2) Inspect your foot daily (check sores, cuts, bruises, changes to the toenails; use a mirror to look under the foot if you cannot see it).
3) Look after your health (lose weight; stop smoking; exercise; reduce your alcohol consumption)
4) Look after your feet:
* cut toenails straight across and never cut into the corners.
* do not try to remove corns and calluses yourself - see a podiatrist for this.
* avoid going barefoot, even in your own home (this lessens the chance of some accidental damage)
5) Fitting of footwear is very important. Poorly fitted shoes are a common cause of problems in the feet of those with diabetes. Some advice:
* get your feet measured each time you buy new shoes (foot size and shape change over time).
* make sure the shoe fitter is experienced.
* new shoes should be comfortable when purchased and should not need a "break-in" period.
* they should fit both the length and width of the foot, with plenty of room for the toes.
* avoid shoes with high heels and pointed toes or shoes tight around the toes (these put too much pressure on parts of the foot and can contribute to ulcers)
6) See a podiatrist, at least annually.

Podiatric treatment of the foot in those with diabetes:
Podiatrists have an extremely important role to play in the prevention and management of complications of the foot in those with diabetes.

Regular foot care from a podiatrist is a key way to prevent problems from developing in those who are at risk.

When something does go wrong, see a podiatrist immediately, The sooner treatment is started, the better.