Diabetes foot care

In patients with diabetes mellitus, a prolonged high blood sugar level leads to damage to the nerves and blood vessels in the lower extremities, as, indeed, in any other organ. In simple terms , they are “sugar-coated”. This leads to the fact that pain, tactile, temperature and vibration sensitivity in the legs decreases. At the same time, even such seemingly insignificant foot injuries such as (calluses, dry skin on the legs, cracks, burrs, abrasions, skin damage caused by inaccurate cutting of nails) can lead to very serious problems. The main problem is that patients simply do not notice many of these injuries, and when they get to the doctor, the disease is already reaching its climax. An infection can join even a small abrasion, after which the wound increases in size, which significantly complicates its treatment. An infected wound causes an increase in blood glucose, and because of this, it heals very poorly. As a result, purulent non-healing wounds, ulcerative defects, infectious bone lesions and even gangrene begin to appear on the feet.

Taking good care of your diabetes feet can help you avoid all of these problems. To do this, patients must constantly adhere to the following simple rules:

Wash your feet daily with warm water , wipe them only with a soft towel, be sure to wipe the interdigital spaces.

After washing, dry skin of the feet must be lubricated with a nourishing foot cream ( Diaultraderm , Dialine Active), excluding the areas of   interdigital spaces.

Treat horny skin areas with a special pumice stone (DIALINE). Never use scissors or a razor blade for this purpose.

Handle the nails very carefully – you only need to cut them straight, it is better to file the corners with a nail file and not round off.

Inspect your feet every day to help prevent damage, abrasions and cracks. The sole can be viewed in a mirror placed on the floor.

Change socks and stockings every day.

It is necessary to warm your legs not with hot water, not with a heating pad, but with warm socks, always without tight elastic bands – due to a decrease in the sensitivity of the lower extremities, there is a high probability of getting a burn.

Shoes should be inspected every day for foreign objects , check if the insole is crumpled – this can cause chafing of the skin of the feet.

You cannot walk barefoot and   wear shoes without socks, on bare feet.

Do not wear tight, hard shoes. With a decrease in sensitivity, you need to go to the purchase of shoes with a cardboard print of your foot (cardboard insole).

Perform vascular exercises for the feet and legs daily.

Lacing shoes with parallel lacing.

In case of the appearance of fungal lesions of the skin of the feet or nails, it is necessary to use special antimycotic agents ( Clotrimazole , Nitrofungin , Lotseril , Lamisil ).

All cracks, cuts , scratches and other damage to the skin must be treated with colorless antiseptic solutions – Dioxidin 1%, Miramistin .

In case of foot injuries that do not heal for a long time, it is necessary to urgently consult a specialist in the “Diabetic Foot” office.