Diabetes and your feet One aspect of diabetes that not everyone knows is that diabetes has the potential to be really bad for your feet. Diabetes can cause nerve damage that reduces or eliminates your ability to feel anything that happens to your foot. Diabetes can also restrict your blood flow to the feet. This can make it difficult to notice stones in your shoe, or when your foot is rubbing, and a blister is forming. You may not even notice if you stand on a nail. This can lead to infection and the possibility of amputation. Diabetic Foot Care (a) Check your feet daily (b) Keep your feet clean and free from infection. (c) Hydrate and treat hard skin using a product like Hydro-Cutis Cream (d) Wear shoes that are not too tight (e) Never walk barefoot (f ) Avoid cuts (g) Do not sit crossed legged as it restricts blood flow (h) Cut and file your toenails regularly. (I ) Get corns treated by a podiatrist
Checking your feet As a diabetic, any problems with your feet can deteriorate rapidly, so you need to check both feet daily. Many diabetics may also have mobility issues and have difficulty lifting their feet. A solution is to set up a mirror that will allow you to see the undersides of your feet. If you are still struggling or your eyesight is not good enough, then you should ask a family member to assist with your Diabetic Foot Care. If you live alone, then seek the advice of a health professional. When checking your feet, you should act immediately if you spot any problems and seek help from a healthcare professional. What to look for when carrying out your Diabetic Foot Care There are tell-tale that should be part of your checklist and if you spot any of these then contact your healthcare provider.
(a) Skin color changes. (b) Elevation in skin temperature. (c) Is your foot or ankle swollen? (d) Wounds on the soles of the feet that are slow healing (e) Toenails that are either fungal or ingrowing (f ) Hard skin with dry cracks (g) Blood on corns
The importance of hydrated feet for diabetic foot care
If your blood glucose is high, then you will lose fluid from your body. The result of this fluid loss is that your skin will dry-up. This is caused by your body fighting the high glucose by tuning fluids into urine so it can expel the excess glucose from the bloodstream. This is made worse by your feet not receiving the messages from your brain telling them to sweat. This failure is caused by nerve damage. Your dry skin may then crack and create entry points for infection. Because your nerves are damaged, you will not feel the soreness and pain from that infection, and it can get really bad — all caused by dry, poorly hydrated skin.
Since your body may be unable to regulate the moisture content in the skin on your feet, it is important to treat the skin with a hydration treatment. The one we recommend is Hydro-Cutis Cream [https://rainierfootandankle.com/ ] This has been formulated to:
(a) Relieve rough and dry skin
(b) Hydrate the skin to resolve the issues caused by diabetes
(c) Be Paraben Free – Parabens disrupt hormonal functions
(d) Be part of your Diabetic Foot Care program. Regular treatment by a product such as Hydro-Cutis Cream will help avoid damage to the skin on your feet.
Conclusion We hope that you now have a greater understanding of the issues of foot care for diabetics and the signs to look out for. Regular checks and hydration treatment should help diabetes sufferers avoid many of the issues we have discussed, but should you have any concerns we advise you to visit a healthcare professional.
Consult your Podiatrist and know the way forward. If stuck and in pain, and don’t know where to start, dr. Christopher Bock https://rainierfootandankle.com/about/ today and get the best medication in the market and professional advice.