Foot care- the importance in a Diabetic person

Back in Medical school, One of my favorite teachers would always tell us, his students that the first thing a Diabetic person should be conscious of is the foot. The American Diabetes Association has backed this up.
Although we knew it was true, we did not know the impact of his words. I later discovered that about 1 in 8 people with Diabetes develop some form of foot infection, and almost all of them end up being amputated.

Mostly because of the high blood sugar associated with diabetes, a lot goes on with the body. Most of them have damaging results. These effects include reduced ability to feel stimulus, such as touch. This is why it is very easy for one to get a foot injury without noticing.

This brings us back to the importance of foot care.

Ways to care for the foot

1. Protect them

   
   Protecting them means staying away/avoiding stepping on harmful objects. Another way of doing this is by keeping track of your blood sugar. By doing regular check-ups, One is more aware and in better control of their health.



2. Pamper them

   Keep Your feet clean always (wash and keep dry). Once in a while, Treat Yourself to a nice pedicure (be sure the materials are sterilized and avoid any injury). Furthermore, air them as often as possible to remove any humidity which may cause fungal infection, etc.



3. Treat them

   In case of any injury, treat it meticulously so that it does not lead to any complication.

4. Be mindful of them, always

   
   Always check Your feet. In other words, examine them thoroughly every often.



5. Improve Your Lifestyle

   Improve and maintain habits such as exercise, diet. One of the reasons for Diabetic ulcers/wounds is reduced/loss of blood flow to the feet. By increasing physical activity, You are increasing blood flow to the lower part of the body, including the feet.

Stay healthy

Yours in the flawless skin journey, NafisahNK