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Foot care for diabetics
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 Since the most common complication a diabetic person could acquire is a foot problem, he must take into consideration the maintenance of his foot care. Nerve damage or neuropathy is the main cause of foot problems. In accordance to this, a diabetic person needs a diabetic shoe that would work best for him and for his daily activities.
Some of the foot problems that a diabetic person may encounter are calluses, foot ulcers, poor blood circulation, and many others. Calluses are common foot problems but since they occur more often and build up more rapidly on the foot of a person with diabetes, these calluses are considered a big problem. These calluses are caused by the high pressure areas under the foot. If not trimmed, these could cause sores and may lead to infection. Using pumice stone daily could keep the calluses under control.
Foot ulcers on the other hand are usually caused by poor fitting of shoes. And they frequently occur on the ball of the foot or on the bed of the foot. Foot ulcers could also lead to infections once neglected. A thorough foot care and medication is needed for the ulcer to be cured.
Poor blood circulation could make the healing of wounds quite difficult. The foot would not be able to fight the infection, which may lead to a more serious problem. Since diabetes causes the blood vessels of the foot to constrict and become firm, one should take precautions in controlling his blood circulation so as to prevent complications. A daily foot exercise is one of the good ways of keeping excellent blood circulation.
According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, people, especially those with diabetes, must take extra care for their foot to prevent these foot problems. The APMA gave some easy-to-follow steps in taking proper care of the foot. Here are some: Wash the feet daily with lukewarm water, check the foot and toes for cuts or any blisters, moisturize the foot with creams, use pumice stone daily for calluses, always wear shoes or slippers to protect the feet and so on. With all these, one could be assured that foot problems would be truly prevented. |
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