Diabetic foot care is a crucial part of maintaining your lower limb health and comfort. It involves wearing the right shoes, good hygiene, daily foot inspections, and periodic foot exams. All of this can be a lot to remember, so keeping a checklist of things to do and problems to watch for may help. Here are a few things for your list:
Footwear
- Choose comfortable shoes that have arch support and plenty of cushioning in the soles.
- Make sure the toe box is sufficiently long, deep, and wide for your toes to wiggle freely.
- Use your custom orthotics if you need them.
- Wear clean, fitted, moisture-wicking socks daily.
- Rotate between shoe pairs every day so each has a chance to dry between uses.
Hygiene
- Wash your feet with warm—not hot—water and mild soap daily.
- Pat your feet dry with a soft towel.
- Use moisturizer to keep skin soft, but don’t put lotion between your toes.
- Consider using anti-fungal powder preventatively.
- Trim toenails straight across. If you have peripheral neuropathy, you may need help to do this.
Inspections
- Look for small problems that could deteriorate into more serious issues—or be symptoms of a bigger problem—daily.
- Check the tops, bottoms, sides, backs, and in between the toes.
- Look for cuts, scrapes, blisters, bruises, skin or nail discoloration, calluses, corns, dry or flaking skin, ingrown nails, swelling, patches that feel warm or cold to the touch, lumps, bumps, and tenderness.
Exams
- Have anything that you find examined and treated by experienced professionals, like our team at Carolina Podiatry Group.
- Get yearly foot exams to have a thorough check for any potential complications and damage.
Don’t take diabetic foot care for granted. Preventing an ulcer or other complication is one of the best gifts you could receive this holiday season. Let Carolina Podiatry Group help. Contact our South Carolina offices for an appointment through the website or call (803) 285-1411 for Lancaster or (803) 548-FEET for Indian Land.
