If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, you know that keeping your blood sugar levels in a healthy range is your day-to-day challenge, right? Well, it may surprise you to learn that what you do on a day-to-day basis to manage your diabetes can have a huge impact on other aspects of your health in the long run. For example, diabetes can eventually cause some serious problems with your feet. So, foot health is just one more reason for diabetics to take charge of their disease.

Diabetes and your feet

Diabetics are more prone to foot infections, wounds that don’t heal, ingrown toenails, corns, calluses, and dry or cracked skin. Poor circulation to the feet can cause bones to weaken. Even worse, neuropathy causes loss of feeling, meaning a diabetic may continue to walk on weakened bones and break them without realizing it.

To prevent these dire kinds of foot problems, diabetics should resolve to do the following:

• Perform a daily foot check. Use your eyes to look for signs of infection such as redness or swelling. Use your hands to feel for dry skin, skin lesions, or changes in shape or temperature.
• Be super-hygienic with your feet. Wash them every day and dry them thoroughly, especially between the toes. Apply moisturizing cream to keep skin supple.
• Never treat an ingrown toenail, corn, or callus on your own. Instead, make an appointment with our Montgomery County podiatrists, Dr. Heidi M. Christie and Dr. Chanda L. Day-Houts.
• Catch diabetic foot problems early by coming in at least once per year for a checkup.

Diabetes is a whole-body disease and as such, we encourage our patients at Montgomery Foot Care Specialists to take a holistic treatment approach. Eat well, take medications as directed, exercise daily, get social and psychological support when you need it, and take care of your feet as outlined above. We’re privileged to be a part of your diabetes health support team. For excellence in diabetic foot care, contact our office in Montgomery, Alabama at (334) 396-3688 or online.