A new year is here again, and it’s the perfect time to celebrate being alive. January is Celebration of Life Month—a month dedicated to paying attention to the little things that make life enjoyable. Try to take a few minutes to celebrate the wonderful things in your life. Enjoy a hug from someone you love. Savor your favorite song on the radio. Pamper your hard-working feet just a little extra so they stay healthy, particularly if you have diabetic feet.
When you’re trying to enjoy life, having healthy and pain-free lower limbs certainly helps. Taking care of your foot hygiene is an important part of life when you have diabetes. It can help you avoid infections and catch small injuries before they escalate into serious medical conditions. Here are a few tips to help you stay on top of your foot cleanliness this New Year:
- Wash Your Feet – Wash them daily to get the sweat, grime, and germs off your skin. This helps you prevent skin infections and keeps them smelling nicer. Use this as an opportunity to inspect your feet for damage, too.
- Keep Water Warm, Not Hot – Hot water could scald your sensitive skin, whether neuropathy allows you to feel that or not. Stick to warm water and a gentle soap.
- Moisturize Your Feet – Lotion helps prevent your skin from drying out. Pay special attention to your heels, but avoid between the toes.
- Clip Nails Carefully – Use toenail clippers and cut nails straight across, but only if you feel safe to do so. If you have peripheral neuropathy, consider letting the Carolina Podiatry Group staff help you so you don’t accidentally injure your toe.
- Never Walk Barefoot – This helps protect your feet from some infections and sharp objects that could puncture your skin. This matters around your home, too. Use thick-soled slippers to protect yourself from injury.
Keeping diabetic feet clean and checking them for problems may seem like a mundane task, but when that is the step that separates you and a dangerous foot ulcer, it’s certainly something to celebrate. Don’t take your foot care for granted. Let Carolina Podiatry Group in Lancaster and Indian Land, SC, help you manage celebration-worthy feet and ankles. You can use our website or call either office—(803) 285-1411 for Lancaster, or (803) 548-FEET for Indian Land—to make an appointment with us.
