Diabetic Foot Care
Diabetes is rapidly becoming common nowadays. Diabetes refers to the inability of the body to control blood sugar levels. There are two main types of diabetes; namely, type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body is not able to produce sufficient insulin hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. On the other hand, type 2 diabetes occurs when the body is unable to use the insulin released due to some factors such as obesity or poor diet. In other terms patient suffering from type 2 diabetes is resistant to insulin. Diabetes leads to many health problems related to body parts such as the kidney, eyes, nerves, blood vessels and feet. For this reason, you should not be surprised at all when the doctor asks you to pay much attention to your feet. Make yourself one of the luckiest person who learn about the diabetic foot care.
Due to nerve damage injury to the feet as a result of diabetes, you may not realize it as your feet feel numb. It increases chances of further infection and other related problems. A foot injury sustained may affect muscles in the foot that makes it possible for the bones to move out of their exact position and later cause deformation. You need to contact your doctor often and know how to manage blood sugar levels within the expected range. However, it is important to understand some basic diabetic foot care tips.
Always keep your feet clean and dry. The toenails should always be trimmed short either by yourself or a chiropodist who is a foot care specialist. Both feet should be checked regularly especially between the toes. In case there are indications of athlete's foot or dry skin, it should be treated using antifungal topical applications and moisturizers. Ensure that you always walk around with some form of foot protection in the name of shoes and socks. By so doing, you will avoid cuts, bruises from stones and hard ground surface. Ensure that the shoes you put on are comfortable. The socks should not be tight fitting as well. Be more curious about podiatry the information that we will give about click for more details.
When bathing, take care to avoid burns because diabetes damages your nerves such that you cannot feel when the water is hot than usual. Ensure you use lukewarm water and the temperature should be checked with your hand or elbow. Avoid electric blankets as well as foot spas and hot water bottles. You can also consider buying diabetic socks that are specially designed to prevent sores, damage to nerves, swelling and improve blood circulation in your feet. The socks are made of cotton or other material that has no elastic or seam to rub against your feet. It can be antibacterial sometimes.
Ensure you take good care of your diabetic foot by even applying some foot creams and lotions that can treat rough dry skin and help in the renewal process so that your feet remain healthy and avoid further infections. Click the link for more info about podiatry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podiatry.