If you do live with diabetes, you need to be aware that your feet are susceptible to a number of conditions. It is crucial to care for your feet to keep them happy and healthy.
Over time, diabetes can affect different parts of the body, including the feet. This can increase the risk of foot ulcers and amputations. According to Diabetes UK, there were 26,378 lower limb amputations from 2014 to 2017 in England as a result of diabetes.
Diabetes can affect the feet by:
- Causing damage to the nerves in your feet, which can make it more difficult to detect any injuries to your feet
- Affecting the blood flow to your feet, which can make it harder for wounds to heal
- Increasing the risk of infections
The good news is that there are many things you can do to keep your feet healthy and reduce the chances of developing these complications.
Check your feet daily. Look for any signs of redness, swelling, cuts, splinters, blisters, cracked or broken skin, corns, calluses or ingrown toenails. Particularly check between your toes, around the edges of your nails, your heels and the soles of your feet. If you can’t see your feet, get someone else to check for you.
Keep them clean. Wash your feet daily in warm (not hot) water and dry them well, including between the toes.
Moisturise regularly. This helps to avoid dry skin which can lead to cracks and infection. But avoid using moisturiser between the toes as this can increase the risk of fungal infections. If you have dry and cracked skin, consider a specialist foot care cream designed to treat these problems. Diabalm is perfect for keeping feet moisturised and help you look after your feet. Diabalm™ is the perfect product to help you look after your feet. This specialist footcare cream contains a complex blend of moisturises and an exfoliant to treat dry skin, maintain healthy skin and prevent skin cracking. Diabalm™ targets cracked and dry heels and is designed to keep your feet moisturised, hydrated and happy!