Diabetic Foot Care Guidelines - Foot Care for Diabetics

Diabetic Foot Care Guidelines

Diabetic Foot Care Guidelines
info@acfas.org

Diabetes can be dangerous to your feetÛeven a small cut could have serious consequences. Diabetes may cause nerve damage that takes away the feeling in your feet. Diabetes may also reduce blood flow to the feet, making it harder to heal an injury or resist infection. Because of these problems, you might not notice a pebble in your shoeÛso you could develop a blister, then a sore, then a stubborn infection that might cause amputation of your foot or leg.
To avoid serious foot problems that could result in losing a toe, foot, or leg, be sure to follow these guidelines.

Inspect your feet daily. Check for cuts, blisters, redness, swelling, or nail problems. Use a magnifying hand mirror to look at the bottom of your feet. Call your doctor if you notice anything. (If your eyesight is poor, have someone else do it for you.)

Wash your feet in lukewarm (not hot!) water. Keep your feet clean by washing them daily. But only use lukewarm waterÛthe temperature you'd use on a newborn baby.

Be gentle when bathing your feet. Wash them using a soft washcloth or sponge. Dry by blotting or pattingÛand make sure to carefully dry between the toes.

Moisturize your feetÛbut not between your toes. Use a moisturizer daily to keep dry skin from itching or cracking. But DON'T moisturize between the toesÛthis could encourage a fungal infection.

Cut nails carefullyÛand straight across. Also, file the edges. Don't cut them too short, since this could lead to ingrown toenails.

Never trim corns or calluses. No "bathroom surgery"Ûlet your doctor do the job.

Wear clean, dry socks. Change them daily.