October 30, 2023
Diabetes & Foot Health
Janine, our foot health practitioner always stresses how important it is for people with diabetes to check their feet on a regular basis so that any changes and or problems can be identified early and complications avoided. A regular diabetic foot health check-up is as important as an annual MOT on your car!
It is important to check the feet by looking at them - this is because feeling in the feet may be compromised or lost (neuropathy). Consequently, you may not be aware if there is a problem.
When checking your feet, you should examine the whole foot; the sole, including the heel, in between the toes and the nails. If flexibility is the issue, have someone else look for you – or use a mirror to assist in reaching those hard to see areas.
Often, she gets asked, “What should I be looking for?”
Check often and be particularly vigilant looking for:
👣 corns and calluses
👣 broken skin (ie) cuts, blisters, ulcers and fissures or cracks in the skin
👣 signs of infection such as inflammation (redness, swelling) surrounding a break in the skin
👣 foreign bodies
👣 changes in shape
👣 skin that looks discoloured
It is also helpful to check shoes and slippers for foreign bodies, rough stitching and split linings.