Diabetic Dos and Don’ts

Patients living with diabetes must take care of their feet as much – if not more than - the rest of the body.  

When left untreated, diabetes can pose a serious problem, particularly for the feet. Even a small cut can lead to serious consequences such as decreased blood flow or nerve damage.  

Diabetics are often worried about eating healthy, exercising, and monitoring their blood sugar, but they often forget about their feet. Today Dr. Ross Cohen of The Foot & Ankle Center of Maryland in Anne Arundel County, Maryland is sharing his dos and don’ts for diabetic foot care. 

Do:

Examine your feet each day. Thoroughly check feet for cuts, blisters, redness, swelling, or cracks each morning and night. Also, be sure to check the sides and bottom of your feet. Diabetes can cause decreased blood flow to the feet and nerve damage, so if you get a cut or scratch and don’t realize it, the consequences can become serious. 

Keep the blood moving. A daily massage will keep the blood flowing in your feet. Be sure to move your ankles and wiggle your toes for approximately five minutes.  

See your podiatrist regularly. One of the most important things diabetics can do is get regular foot exams from a podiatrist. Doing so can reduce the risk of amputation by 45% to 85% percent. 

Don’t:

Overheat your feet. Electric blankets, hot water bottles, heating pads, or extremely hot baths can all be soothing and relaxing, but for diabetics, they can be quite dangerous. Patients with nerve cell damage, may not be able to feel how hot something is, and risk burning their feet.

Try to remove corns or calluses yourself.  You may be tempted to try to remove corns or calluses on your own, but you need to let a podiatrist remove them. If you don’t have a lot of feeling in your foot, you might injure yourself. 

Get your feet wet in rain or snow. If you live in an area with a cold climate and get your feet wet, your risk of frostbite is elevated. Because there is already decreased blood flow to your feet, diabetics have a higher chance of being damaged. 

If you’d like to learn more about diabetic foot care or schedule an exam, contact the office of Dr. Ross Cohen of The Foot & Ankle Center of Maryland in Glen Burnie, Maryland at (410) 761-3501.