Diabetic foot care information Foot Care fooy Diabetes It's root to take ingormation care of your feet when you have diabetes. This is one of the most important things you can do to prevent nerve damage or stop it from getting worse. You should have a podiatrist check your feet once a year or more.

Diabetic foot care information -

Español Other Languages. Take Charge of Your Diabetes: Healthy Feet Español Spanish. Minus Related Pages. Tips To Keep Your Feet Healthy. How Can Diabetes Harm Your Feet?

Diabetes is a major cause of amputation of a toe, foot, or leg. Many amputations could be prevented with daily foot care. If you have diabetes, you can lose feeling in your feet. When that happens, it can be hard to tell when you have a problem—like a callus, cut, sore, or blister on your foot.

Diabetes can reduce the amount of blood flow to your feet. Numbness and less blood flow can slow the time it takes for sores to heal and lead to foot problems.

What Is a Podiatrist? What to Do When You Visit a Podiatrist Work with your podiatrist to create a plan to care for your feet. Ask how to trim your toenails and treat corns and calluses safely. Ask if you qualify for special shoes. They might be covered by Medicare or other insurance plans.

Ask your podiatrist to send your exam results to your other doctors after every visit. Be sure to keep your next podiatrist appointment! Blood pressure: High blood pressure causes heart disease. Ask your doctor what your cholesterol numbers should be. Smoking: If you smoke or use other tobacco products, take steps to quit.

Call QUIT-NOW for support. Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or blood sugar , levels are too high. Glucose comes from foods you eat. The cells of your body need glucose for energy.

A hormone called insulin helps the glucose get into your cells. With type 1 diabetes , your body doesn't make insulin.

With type 2 diabetes , your body doesn't make or use insulin well. Without enough insulin, glucose can't get into your cells as quickly as usual. The glucose builds up in your blood and causes high blood sugar levels.

Foot problems are common in people with diabetes. They can happen over time when high blood sugar damages the nerves and blood vessels in the feet.

The nerve damage, called diabetic neuropathy , can cause numbness, tingling, pain, or a loss of feeling in your feet. If you can't feel pain, you may not know when you have a cut, blister , or ulcer open sore on your foot.

A wound like that could get infected. The infection may not heal well because the damaged blood vessels can cause poor blood flow in your feet. Having an infection and poor blood flow can lead to gangrene. That means the muscle, skin, and other tissues start to die.

If you have gangrene or a foot ulcer that does not get better with treatment, you may need an amputation. This is a surgery to cut off your damaged toe, foot, or part of your leg. It may prevent a bad infection from spreading and could save your life.

The best way to protect your feet is by controlling your blood sugar levels every day. This will help keep nerve and blood vessel damage from getting worse.

The next step is to keep the skin of your feet healthy. Serious foot problems can develop quickly. See your health care provider right away if you notice:.

Remember, controlling your blood sugar and caring for your feet every day are the best steps you can take to prevent serious diabetic foot problems. The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice.

Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health. Diabetic Foot. On this page Basics Summary Start Here Learn More. Learn More Living With Related Issues. See, Play and Learn Images. Research Clinical Trials Journal Articles. Resources Find an Expert. For You Patient Handouts.

What is diabetes? How does diabetes cause foot problems? But there's a lot you can do to prevent a foot wound from becoming a major health problem. How can I protect my feet if I have diabetes? Good foot care for people with diabetes includes: Checking your feet every day.

Look for cuts, redness, and other changes in the skin and toenails, including warts or other spots that your shoes could rub. Make sure to check the bottoms of your feet too.

Washing your feet every day. Use warm water and soap. Don't soak your feet because that can dry out your skin. After you dry your feet, you can use talcum powder or cornstarch between your toes.

They soak up moisture that can cause infection. If you use lotion, don't apply it between your toes.

Infirmation you have diabetes, nerve damage, Diabetic foot care information Energy-boosting plant oils, and infections can ccare to serious Diabrtic problems. However, you can take precautions to maintain healthy feet. Managing your diabetes and maintaining a healthy lifestyle helps keep your feet healthy. This should include:. Check your feet and toes, inspecting the tops, sides, soles, heels, and the area in between the toes. Did you know that diabetes can informafion your feet Reduce muscle soreness after intense workouts lead to complications? The Diabeti news is that infomation can take steps Diabetjc help keep your feet healthy. Fasting and Longevity podiatrist poh-DYuh-trist infoemation Reduce muscle soreness after intense workouts doctor who specializes in finding and treating foot and doot problems. You should have a podiatrist check your feet once a year or more. Ask your health care team to help you set and reach goals to manage your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol and stop smoking—also known as the ABCs of diabetes. Join the millions of Americans learning to manage their diabetes: Ask your health care provider to refer you to diabetes self-management education and support DSMES services to help you manage your diabetes. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search.

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Foot Care for Diabetics