If you have diabetes you may have been told to take special care of your feet, but perhaps you don’t know why. Understanding how and why foot problems develop will help you to take action to prevent them. By understanding how your feet can change with diabetes and by learning how to spot those changes …
The skin on your feet, like skin elsewhere your body, forms a physical barrier to the environment. It’s important that your skin is supple and flexible so that it can cope with the stresses and forces of walking. However if the skin’s properties are altered or damaged, dryness and roughness can develop which can look …
Warts and verrucae are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). The virus is contagious and can be spread by contact with someone else who is infected or by coming into contact with infected skin cells in places like communal showering areas. The virus enters through small breaks in your skin and infection is thought …
Any injury or hard skin has the potential to develop into something more serious if you have diabetes. Usually when skin is damaged it heals quickly, but if you have diabetes it may not heal so easily and sometimes this can cause an ulcer to form on your foot. An ulcer is a wound or …
Small cuts, grazes, blisters and burns can often be looked after by you at home: For cuts and grazes clean the wound with warm water and use an antiseptic. Put a dry, sterile dressing over the cut or graze. For blisters, don’t pop it as it could get infected. Put a dry, sterile dressing over …
Looking after your feet is something best done every day. But it’s something which shouldn’t take long – in fact just a few minutes every day can be enough to help prevent serious problems in the future. 1) Check your feet. You’re looking for any changes from yesterday as well as the previous days and weeks. …
There are a number of different signs of an infection, though you may not have all of these: Pain – though if your nerves are damaged you may not feel any pain or discomfort Change in skin colour Swelling Difficultly moving your foot because of pain or swelling Heat – your skin may feel hot …
There are two main ways that foot problems can start; 1) an injury like a cut or a blister caused by shoes rubbing, or 2) hard, cracked skin. You should check your feet for: Any damage to your skin, like a cut, blister, burn and scald. These injuries can take a long time to heal …
Damage to the nerves and blood supply to your feet makes it more likely that you will develop foot problems if you have diabetes. This is because nerve damage and poor circulation can change the shape of your feet, the sensations you are able to feel and the condition of your skin. To find out …
Unless your feet are misshapen because of bunions or other problems you probably won’t need to buy special shoes just because you have diabetes, however you may have to change the kind of shoes you wear. It’s also important to have your feet measured every time you buy shoes – there should be 1cm of …
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