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Diabetes: Taking care of your feet
You need to care for your feet because having diabetes for several years can:
- Damage the nerve endings in your feet. That means that you may not know when your feet are injured. Also, if your shoes don't fit properly, you may not feel any discomfort (even a blister). This nerve damage caused by diabetes in some people can lead to deformed feet that may not fit well into standard shoes.
- Damage blood vessels throughout the body. Damage to the vessels that carry blood to the feet and legs decreases blood flow to the feet. Small cuts, sores, and even ingrown toenails take longer to heal and are more likely to become infected because of the decreased blood flow to your feet.
- Affect your body's ability to fight infection. Even a small cut may become seriously infected because your immune system may not work as well as the immune system of someone who does not have diabetes.
The best way to avoid foot problems is to prevent them. That means taking care of your feet every day so that infections don't develop. If you develop good foot-care habits before you have foot problems, you will find it much easier to keep up the habit when you do have a problem.
You may not feel it when you have a small blister, cut, or scrape on your foot. If you check your feet every day, you'll find minor problems earlier. Have your doctor treat minor problems to prevent more serious ones later on.
Test Your Knowledge
You need to care for your feet because:
You can prevent foot infections from developing.You need to care for your feet because you can prevent foot infections from developing. The best way to avoid foot problems is to prevent them. Your daily habits to keep your feet in shape can prevent infections.
You can prevent nerve damage caused by diabetes.Proper foot care cannot prevent nerve damage caused by diabetes. The correct answer is a. You need to care for your feet because you can prevent foot infections from developing. The best way to avoid foot problems is to prevent them. Your daily habits to keep your feet in shape can prevent infections.
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Diabetes: Taking care of your feet
| Author: | Judy Dundas | Last Updated: July 22, 2009 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine David C.W. Lau, MD, PhD, FRCPC - Endocrinology & Metabolism | |
© 1995-2009 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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