Foot Care Tips for People with Diabetes

If you have been recently diagnosed with diabetes, then it’s time that you start taking good care of your feet. If you talk to anyone associated with any London podiatry centre, you will realize that these clinics treat at least two to three diabetic patients suffering from lower limb or foot problems everyday on an average. This is because diabetes affects the vascular system and this might have an adverse result on your feet. Diabetic patients suffer from foot problems due to neuropathy and poor circulation of blood. Diabetic neuropathy can lead to loss of the ability to feel pain and can cause severe insensitivity. A lot of diabetic patients come to podiatry London centres with pressure sores, blisters, cuts and scrapes which are old because due to their insensitivity they were not able to detect them earlier on. This is precisely why proper foot care is so very important for patients suffering from diabetes.

All foot podiatrists in London are of the opinion that good foot care is of utmost importance for people suffering from diabetes and this is why they outline a few things that diabetic patients should try and follow.

The very first thing that a person with diabetes must do is take care of the diabetes. Healthy lifestyle choices go a long way in keeping the blood sugar level in check and it will really be great if you can work with your doctor to chalk out a healthy diabetes plan which will be easy to follow, keeping in mind your daily and regular routine.

It is very important that you check your feet thoroughly at the end of every day. Since at times, you might lose the ability to feel the pain; you might have cuts or bruises that you are not aware of. So, it is important that you check your feet for cuts, bruises, swelling, sores, red spots and infected toenails before you retire for bed every night. If you cannot bend over to inspect your feet properly, you can use a mirror or you can ask a family member to help you will the inspection. If there is a cut, bruise or sore which does not heal within a couple of days, you must visit a podiatrist immediately.

It is very important for a person suffering from diabetes to wash his or her feet every day. You must wash your feet with warm water at the end of the day; never use hot water to wash the feet. Once your feet are washed, make sure that you dry them well. To keep the skin in between your toes dry, you can use talcum powder. You should also try to keep the blood flowing to your feet all the time. Avoid wearing tight shoes and socks and do not cross your legs for long periods of time.

Peter Brown is associated with a London podiatry centre for a couple of years and assisted podiatrists there.