Diabetes And Your Feet
If you have diabetes, one of the most important things to know is to take care of your feet.
How Can Diabetes Cause Foot Problems?
Some people with diabetes develop complications. Two of the common complications, both of which can adversely affect your feet, are damage to nerves (neuropathy) and damage to blood vessels (vascular disease).
People with diabetes sometimes develop nerve damage to the feet- your entire foot, or a part of it, can become numb or insensitive to pain. If your foot is numb, you can walk all day with a very bad blister, or something in your shoe that is injuring you, and never know it. You could burn your foot badly and do not know to pull your foot away.
How Does Diabetes Damage Blood Vessels?
Diabetes can cause the lining of blood vessels to thicken, narrowing the space where blood flows. If the blood vessels to your feet are either clogged up or completely blockd, the skin and muscles of your feet will suffer.
This can mean that your feet are:
- Less able to fight off infection.
- Less able to heal if injured.
- Likely to develop gangrene (or areas of dead flesh) if the blood supply becomes completely blocked.
How Should I take Care Of My Feet?
If you have no existing nerve or blood vessel damage, you should still take sensible care of your feet.
- Wash and carefully dry your feet evey day. Take special care to gently dry between toes.
- Very lightly moisturise feet every day, but not between toes.
- Wear well-fitting and sensible shoes, like broad and deep sports shoes.
- Look at your feet everyday to check that they look healthy and normal. Report any changes immediately to your doctor.
