One of the common areas of the body often affected by diabetes is your feet. The American Diabetes Association reports that more than half of the people with type 2 diabetes have nerve damage that usually affects the feet. The health condition also leads to the narrowing and hardening of blood vessels in your feet and legs, causing poor blood flow. Therefore, you are highly at risk of developing a sore or wound in your foot. The foot infection or ulcer often has difficulty healing, necessitating amputation. That is why Cypress foot & ankle center offers diabetic foot care. Professional caring for your diabetic foot reduces your risk of complications and losing your leg by almost 85%.
Consequently, below are a few tips you can follow to ensure that you maintain healthy diabetic feet.
Manage your blood sugar levels
Frequently check your blood sugar levels and strive to maintain a healthy range as your doctor recommended. Managing healthy blood sugar levels requires visiting your doctor regularly, making healthy lifestyle and diet choices, and using diabetes medication as prescribed.
Management of healthy blood sugar levels will put you at less risk of developing complications of diabetes, such as poor blood circulation and nerve damage.
Avoid smoking
If you smoke frequently, you are 40% more likely to get type 2 diabetes than someone who does not smoke.
When you smoke, the toxins that get into your bloodstream change your cells so that they do not respond to insulin, leading to increased blood sugar levels. Furthermore, the chemicals you inhale harm your body cells, causing inflammation.
The toxins you inhale make you more susceptible to heart and vascular issues and reduce blood flow to the feet.
Prevent foot injuries
Safeguard your feet against injury by always wearing slippers or shoes and socks, even indoors. And before you wear your properly fitting shoes, ensure there are no objects inside that can cause foot damage.
Shoe inserts can cushion your step and reduce pressure on your feet’s soles.
Moreover, avoid engaging in activities that may cause an injury to your foot.
Always trim your nails
Regularly trimming your nails prevents ingrown toenails. The condition is common and involves the side or corner of your toenail growing into the soft toe flesh. As a result, you may have swelling skin, pain, and infection.
Trim the toenails right across and avoid curving too far into the toenails’ corners, as that promotes ingrown nails.
Visit your podiatrist if you notice foot disorders related to a health condition like diabetes.
Wash your feet every day
Use warm water, and do not soak your feet. Once done washing your feet, thoroughly dry them using a clean towel and apply a moisturizing lotion or cream. Do not apply the cream between your toes, which may encourage a fungal infection.
Regular foot checks
Frequent foot exams can enable early detection of emerging foot complications, allowing treatment before they become problematic.
Foot symptoms that may make you see your doctor include a change in feet color, change in shape, infections, and numbness.
Contact Cypress Foot & Ankle Center today for specialist treatment of your foot and ankle problems.
