In people who suffer from diabetes, in the lower extremities, as in other organs, there is damage to nerves and blood vessels associated with a prolonged elevated blood sugar. These changes lead to a decrease in temperature, pain, vibration and tactile sensitivity of the legs, as a result of which the patient ceases to notice small wounds, injuries, abrasions, and cracks in the legs. Soon, such lesions become infected, become much larger in size, trophic ulcers occur, and in especially severe cases — gangrene of the lower extremities.
In this article, we will tell you how to carry out proper foot care for diabetes, aimed at preventing the above situation.
Prevention and treatment of trophic ulcers in diabetes consists in the following rules:
- Wash your feet with warm water every day, remembering to wipe them with a soft towel. Be sure to wipe the interdigital spaces.
- Moisturize dry skin of the feet after washing with foot cream, excluding the areas of interdigital spaces.
- Treat keratinized areas of the skin of the feet with pumice specially formulated for this purpose.
- Treat your nails with extreme care — it is important to trim the nails straight without rounding off the corners. It is advisable to file nails with a nail file.
- Every day carefully inspect the feet in order to prevent the development of damage, abrasions, cracks. When examining the soles, you can use a mirror placed on the floor.
- Change socks and stockings every day.
- In patients with diabetes, the sensitivity of the legs decreases, therefore, in order not to get a burn, they should be warmed not with hot water or a heating pad, but with warm socks.
- Every day carefully inspect the shoes for wrapped insoles, the presence of any foreign objects in it. This will help prevent damage to the skin of the feet.
- Do not walk without shoes, do not wear shoes on bare feet.
- Do not wear tight, tight shoes. With a decrease in the sensitivity of the lower extremities, go shopping for shoes with a cardboard footprint (cardboard insole).
- Daily use special socks for diabetics, which are a highly effective prophylactic for skin and fungal diseases.
- Perform vascular gymnastics for the feet and legs every day.
- Lace up shoes with parallel lacing.
- In the presence of fungal infections of the skin of the feet or nails, use special antimycotic agents (Loceryl, Nitrofungin, Clotrimazole, Lamisil).
- In case of foot injuries that do not heal for a long time, a patient with diabetes should immediately contact a specialist of the Diabetic Foot office.
It is important to remember that the treatment of trophic ulcers in diabetes should be carried out exclusively under the supervision of doctors.