Caring for Your Feet When You're Diabetic

Caring for Your Feet When You're Diabetic

Caring for your feet when you have diabetes doesn’t need to be challenging.

People with diabetes are prone to dealing with cracked skin, tingling and numbness in their feet. Diabetes-related foot complications are fairly common. In fact, more than 20 percent of US hospitalizations are patients with diabetes. If you want to avoid diabetic foot complications and keep yourself out of the ER, our Brooklyn - Heights, NY, podiatrists can help you create a diabetic foot care action plan to improve your foot health with diabetes.

Wash feet daily: It’s important that you are washing your feet every day with soap and water to remove dirt, germs, and bacteria. Just remember to use lukewarm water, never hot (if you have nerve damage in your feet it’s important that you test the water with your elbow first before stepping in).

Keep feet moisturized: Dry, cracked feet are prone to infections, so it’s important that you are doing your part to keep feet supple and moisturized. All you have to do is apply a moisturizer after washing and toweling dry your feet. Avoid applying moisturizer between toes, as this could increase the likelihood of fungal infection.

Trim nails properly: It’s imperative that you know how to properly trim your nails to prevent ingrown toenails and infections from setting in. Trim nails straight across, never curving at the edges, and avoid trimming nails too short (they should be level with the tips of your toes). If you’re unable to trim your own toenails, our foot doctors provide nail trimming as part of the list of diabetic foot care services they offer at their  Brooklyn - Heights, NY, offices.

Wear shoes and socks all day long: While it might sound weird, it’s important that you are wearing shoes and socks all day long even when you’re indoors. This will protect your feet from burns, cuts, and other injuries that you may be less likely to notice, especially if you have a loss of sensation in your feet. Just make sure that you are wearing properly fitted shoes and socks and that you’re swapping them out with different ones every day.

Don’t treat problems yourself: Even the smallest issues such as an ingrown toenail or fungal infection can cause serious issues if left untreated or not properly treated. This is why it’s important that you have a podiatrist that you can turn to when problems arise. It’s important that you call your foot doctor right away at any signs of redness, swelling, pain, cuts, scrapes, or an infection.

Our podiatrists can provide comprehensive and tailored foot care to diabetics living in and around Brooklyn - Heights, NY. If you are concerned about the health of your feet, give Stuto Foot Specialist Podiatry a call at (718) 624-7537 or (718) 567-1403.

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