How can a Podiatrist Help a Diabetic? It is so important when you have diabetes to have your feet checked. You need to keep your feet healthy and avoid any complications from diabetes. Trust me, this is something you do NOT want to ignore. So why is a podiatrist important if you have diabetes?
What a Podiatrist can Help with
You want healthy feet and sure as heck don’t want infections or amputations! Once you start to notice any one of the following with your feet, then it’s a red flag to get to go see your podiatrist:
- Callus or hard skin
- If your foot is suddenly swollen
- Any numbness or tingling in your feet (pins & needles)
- Any open sores or breaks in your skin
- If any specific or all of your feet suddenly become hot or cold
- If your footwear begins to becomes troublesome to wear or put on
- Any color changes in your skin such as pale, blue, red, or black
- Your calves begin to give you cramps
- Your walking becomes difficult
Any or all of these require medical attention from a professional such as a podiatrist.
Poor Circulation
I know from experience that peripheral neuropathy causes poor circulation in your feet. For me this results in numbness and my feet being on the colder side at times. This neuropathy will result in fatty deposits of plaque that will cause the arteries in your legs to not only harden and narrow, but causes less flowing of your blood in the feet and legs.
Prevention Foremost
The best course of action against neuropathy and problems with your feet is to be proactive with controlling your blood sugars and diabetes in the first place. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! This is vital for the health of your feet. There are things you should be doing and things you shouldn’t be doing.
- Have your feet examined yearly by a podiatrist
- Like I do, check your feet EVERY day
- Always wear shoes and ones that fit properly.
- Do NOT go barefoot
- Clean up and dress any scratches, wounds, & cuts you may have
- Do NOT smoke because this adds to circulation problems
- Wash your feet in lukewarm water, not hot water daily
- Trim your nails but carefully- straight across with filing the edges
- Wear socks (not compression socks) to bed if your feet are cold
- Choose diabetic compression socks to wear during the day
- Wear correct fitting diabetic shoes
Protect your Feet!
Again, I cannot stress enough how essential it is to check your feet each and every day. Examine the top of your feet and every part of your toes, the balls of your feet and the heels. Know what to look for.
You should be checking for:
- Athletes foot
- Rashes
- Temperature of your feet, hot or cold?
- Color- red, pale, blue?
- Skin that may be dry and cracked
- Cuts, wounds, abrasions
- Infections
- Swelling
- Pain
- Calluses
- Corns
Treatments
This falls mainly in the category of your podiatrist visit. They will check your foot color and temperature and thoroughly examine your feet and apply the needed treatments you may require. Your podiatrist will also check the two pulses in your feet as well. He or she will also be looking for any signs that are out of the ordinary such as any deformities or any indications that may require advice about diabetic footwear.
Additional Tips for your Feet
- Do not wear shoes without socks
- Apply moisturizer to your legs and feet 2x daily (not between toes)
- Make sure your shower/bath water isn’t too hot
- Don’t ignore any signs of infection, pain, or redness
- Inspect your feet at least once every day
- Keep between your toes dry to prevent athlete’s foot
- Smoking makes matters worse, quit!
- Choose your shoes wisely, go for comfortable shoes that fit properly
- Have a foot exam by a podiatrist at least once a year
Final Thoughts about a Podiatrist for your Feet
How can a Podiatrist Help a Diabetic? A podiatrist is very important if you have diabetes as you can see. Make sure you do everything you can to protect your feet and keep them healthy. Follow the tips here and don’t forget to see your podiatrist now before it’s too late!
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Anything that will help us combat diseases and ailments such as diabetes is highly important and welcome. Since you have so beautifully outlined the importance of a podiatrist to a diabetic patient I can see how relevant it is. This article is really interesting and revealing because I have learned a lot about podiatrist and diabetes that I did not before now. What a great eye opener. This article will actually go a long way in saving people’s lives. Thanks for sharing.
Hi and I can’t agree with you more about how important it is to know everything about diabetes.
For me, one thing is neuropathy of the feet and the numbness i suffer every day.
Seeing a podiatrist regularly is crucial for the health of your feet. I cannot stress enough how vital this is! You must control your diabetes and keep your feet healthy and a podiatrist should stay on top of the health of your feet.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and that certainly is the case with your feet and diabetes.
Thank you for sharing 🙂
I am diabetic but have not been to Podiatrist yet because do not like anyone messing with my feet. For instance, I have ingrown toenails that need to be taken care of. Does a Podiatrist help with ingrown nails and recommend shoes for people with diabetics? This is excellent information that sure will help me and hopefully to reach others with diabetes.
Hey Jannette 🙂
Sorry to hear that you have diabetes. I know that there are some people who don’t like having their feet touched.
But when you have diabetes, it’s vital to have a podiatrist examine and treat your feet regularly.
Ingrown toenails are the worst! They are very painful.
A podiatrist can keep tabs on your feet and recommend diabetic shoes as well.
I hope you share this with others. Thank you 🙂
Your article really hits close to home. My uncle had diabetes and had horrible problems with his feet and walking. By the time he decided to go to the hospital, it was too late. They scheduled him for amputation surgery, but he was informed he probably wouldn’t make it, anyway. He died about a week later. We’ll never know how long he might have lived if he’d only gotten help sooner.
I truly hope any diabetics or people with foot problems read your article and take it seriously.
Hi Cathy 🙂
I’m so sorry to hear about your uncle. It’s a real shame that he didn’t take care of his feet sooner.
That’s why I am proactive when it comes to my feet and the reason I wanted to write this particular article.
I have neuropathy in my feet and now have my feet checked by my podiatrist regularly,
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Thanks for sharing 🙂