Diabetes Foot Care: Daily Checks That Matter

Why do feet need special attention with diabetes?

Diabetes can damage the nerves in your feet, which means an injury may not hurt. It can also reduce blood flow, which means wounds heal slowly. Put those together and a small blister can quietly turn into a serious sore. The daily check exists to catch problems while they are still small.

What should a daily foot check involve?

The CDC says to check your feet every day for cuts, redness, swelling, sores, blisters, corns, calluses, or any other change to the skin or nails. MedlinePlus adds the detail on coverage: inspect the tops, sides, soles, heels and between the toes, looking also for dry skin, bruises and hard spots.

If you cannot see the bottom of your feet, use a mirror or ask a family member to look for you. If your eyesight is poor, ask someone else to do the check rather than skipping it.

How should you wash and dry your feet?

• Wash daily in warm — not hot — water with a mild soap. Strong soaps can damage the skin.
• Check the water temperature with your hand or elbow first, because your feet may not feel heat properly.
• Do not soak your feet, per CDC advice.
• Dry gently and thoroughly, especially between the toes, where trapped moisture leads to infection.
• Apply lotion to the tops and bottoms of your feet, but not between the toes unless your doctor tells you otherwise.

How should toenails be cut?

Cut nails straight across and gently smooth sharp edges with a nail file. Curved cutting makes ingrown nails more likely. Do not cut thick or discoloured nails yourself — see a foot specialist. The same goes for corns and calluses: the CDC is clear that you should not remove them yourself and should not use over-the-counter corn or callus removers.

What about shoes and socks?

• Never go barefoot, indoors or outdoors, and especially not on hot surfaces — diabetes can dull your skin's sense of heat.
• Always wear socks with shoes. Keep them clean, dry and free of holes.
• Check inside your shoes before putting them on, for stones, objects or rough linings.
• Buy new shoes at the end of the day, when your feet are at their largest.
• Break new shoes in gradually, starting with 1 to 2 hours a day.
• Do not use a heating pad or hot water bottle on your feet.

MedlinePlus also notes that stopping smoking matters here specifically, because smoking reduces blood flow to the feet.

What are the signs of nerve damage?

The CDC lists tingling, burning, numbness or pain in the feet, loss of the sense of touch, hair loss on the lower legs, dry cracked skin, and changes in the colour or temperature of your feet. Numbness is not a relief — it is a warning, because it means injuries will go unnoticed.

How often should a professional check your feet?

MedlinePlus states that your provider should check the pulses and reflexes in your feet at least once a year, and look for calluses, infections, sores, thick toenails and any loss of feeling. If you have had a foot ulcer before, that becomes every 3 to 6 months.

When to see a doctor

With diabetes, foot problems are not things to watch and wait on. Contact your doctor promptly about:

• Any blister, sore, ulcer, infected corn or ingrown toenail
• Redness, swelling, tingling or pain in a foot
• A cut or wound that is not healing
• Thickened yellow nails or a suspected fungal infection
• Pain or cramping in your legs during walking or other activity
• New numbness, burning or loss of feeling

Seek urgent care the same day if you have a foot wound with spreading redness, warmth, pus or a bad smell, if you have fever with a foot wound, or if part of your foot turns black, blue or very pale and cold. Call Rescue 1122 where available, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.