Taking Care Of Your Whole Body

Living With Diabetes: 4 Everyday Foot Care Tips

13 August 2015 by Linda Lopez

As if living with diabetes weren't difficult enough, foot pain, foot sores, and poor foot circulation are all common challenges that those with diabetes also suffer from. As such, it is important for those living with diabetes to exercise certain diabetic foot care tips as a means of reducing their pain and discomfort. Below is a list of four everyday care tips that, in addition to regulating your blood sugar levels, can keep your feet healthy when you have diabetes.

Steer Clear of Hot Tubs

Nerve damage is common in diabetes patients; therefore, it can be difficult for diabetic people to sense when their feet are being exposed to temperatures that are too hot or cold. To reduce the chances of accidental burning or scalding, then, it is recommended that those with diabetes stay out of hot tubs. 

Invest in the Right Footwear

Due to the reduced sense of feeling in one's feet when they have diabetes, it is also important for diabetics to exercise addition precautions when shopping for footwear. Specifically, they should take the time to not only try on shoes in the store, but walk around in them for a few minutes to ensure that the feet or heels aren't rubbing against the fabric so as to cause blisters. Generally, shoes that have greater depth in the toe area are ideal for diabetes patients.

Stick to Low-Impact Exercise

For those who have neuropathy caused by diabetes, it is also important to stick to low-impact exercises, as higher-impact ones like running can put too much pressure on the feet and lead to sores. Of course, this doesn't mean that diabetic people should shy away from exercise altogether; exercise can be extremely beneficial to those with diabetes. However, it is best to stick with exercises like walking, aerobics, and yoga.

Focus on Quitting Smoking

Finally, if you're a smoker, there is never a better time to quit than after you've been diagnosed with diabetes. When you quit smoking, your circulation quickly improves, which can help increase the sense of feeling in your feet and help you avoid sores (in addition to the many other health benefits of quitting, such as reduced chance of developing lung cancer and emphysema). 

These are just a few tips for exercising diabetic foot care on a daily basis. By incorporating these tips into your everyday life, you can avoid foot problems down the road. For more information, contact Michael Scanlon DPM or a similar medical professional.

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