Proper foot care is extremely important for people with diabetes, who face many painful complications. The most common is foot ulcers: the skin on the feet and around the toes begins to crack and break, causing pain and a risk of infection.
According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, 14–24 percent of all people with diabetes develop foot ulcers. Health experts point out that foot ulcers can double the cost of managing diabetes.
These factors confirm the importance of self-care for people with diabetes, with particular emphasis on proper nutrition and constant foot care. Without proper care, especially wound care, more serious health problems can develop.
Proper nutrition and diabetes
Ulcers are a result of neuropathy: persistently high blood sugar damages the nerves of the foot. High blood sugar is often the result of poor nutrition, and a lack of nutrients makes diabetes-related problems harder to manage. Health professionals have compiled nutrition guidelines to help reduce the risk of foot ulcers. These include:
Immune function and diabetes
Any good nutrition plan should include the right vitamins and minerals. They help strengthen the immune system, which helps the body heal wounds and fight infections. Especially important for people with diabetes are zinc, vitamin A, magnesium, vitamin C and copper.
Weight loss and diabetes
For people with diabetes, losing weight can actually help lower blood sugar. According to a 2012 study, reducing body weight by only 5% is enough to lower it substantially. However, some people lose weight by cutting out carbohydrate foods, which contain many beneficial minerals.
Glycemic index control
The glycemic index (GI) tells you how carbohydrates affect your body. Slow-release carbohydrates such as fresh fruit, nuts and sweet potatoes are much better than fast-release carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta and white rice. According to a study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, a high A1C – the result of an unbalanced diet – can actually slow down wound healing.
Proper foot care and diabetes
According to the American Diabetes Association, there were 73,000 non-traumatic lower-limb amputations among adults in the United States, and 60 percent of these patients had diabetes. Fortunately, proper foot care can often prevent the need for this procedure. Diabetic foot care tips:
- Trim your nails regularly. This is not only a cosmetic procedure but also a good opportunity to spot possible skin lesions.
- Take care of your skin. Use a cream specially developed for the skin of diabetic feet and legs. Apply the moisturizer to the foot, but not between the toes.
- Do foot exercises. Wiggle your toes once a day to help improve blood flow and circulation.
- Protect your feet from the weather. Wear socks when it is cold and apply sunscreen to your feet in summer.
- Always wear suitable footwear. Choose comfortable shoes that are slightly looser around the toes.
- Check your feet every day. Look out for cuts, bruises, swelling, red spots and other damage.
For daily care of the skin on your feet we recommend Eubos Diabetic's Skin Care Foot & Leg Cream – developed for the dry, crack-prone skin on the feet and legs of people with diabetes.
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