Health Information Blog

When you are diabetic, it is necessary to look after your feet. Diabetes make you more prone to having sores and infections of the feet as the medical condition can affect the sensitivity of nerves. As part of health checks the doctor will usually inspect your feet to ensure there are no problems and give advice about diabetic foot care.

Problems that are noticed with the feet should not be self treated, you should try to get professional advice as to the best treatment. Clean and dry feet are a major part of avoiding infections and sores along with well trimmed toe nails. Regular, preferably daily inspection, of both the feet and in between toes is vital to prevent problems going unnoticed. Athletes foot and areas of dry skin should be treated with anti fungal and moisturisers.

To prevent standing on something that may cause cuts or bruises to the feet, walking about in bare feet should be avoided at all times. When wearing shoes, they should only be worn with socks that are not so tight as to affect the circulation in the feet. Ideally there should be no elastic around the ankle and they should be seam free.

If looking for new shoes, these should be comfortable and should not rub against the feet in any way. The shoes should have ample room at the toes and pointed toes should be avoided. Shoes with heels may cause pressure to certain areas of the feet and high heels should not be considered when purchasing shoes. Ideally shoes with good strap fastenings or laces should be the preferred choice as opposed to slip on shoes.

When looking at shoes, you should put your hand inside the shoe and have a good feel about to make sure there are no rough patches of uneven leather or stitching. When trying the shoes on it is important that you wear the type of socks that you would normally wear, this will give a better idea of what the shoes will feel like during everyday wear. If you have extra wide feet or feet that are an unusual shape, it may be difficult to buy shoes off the shelf and you may have to get them specially made.

Burning the feet may be a problem as having a high sugar count in the blood can cause the nerves to become damaged and therefore the sensation of burning will not be felt. Before going in the bath, it will be necessary to feel the temperature of the water using a hand, rather than just stepping in. Use of hot water bottles, electric blankets and foot spas should be avoided as the sensation of using these items cannot be felt by the feet.

Socks especially made for people who have the medical condition are available from all good chemists. The socks help increase the circulation within the feet, they also help to prevent sores, nerve damage and swelling. The socks are made from material which stop the material from feeling too tight, they also have no tight elastic and are seam free.

As part of the daily foot inspection routine, you could use one of the many products available on the market. These products are suitable for rough and dry skin and help with the renewal of skin. Antibacterial creams that increase blood flow and prevent infections are also available.

Want more information? Learn more about Diabetic Foot Care and enjoy our full range of Diabetic Socks.