If you want to be active and independent all of your life – whether or not you have diabetes –you need to have healthy feet. Most people take their feet for granted, but people with diabetes really cannot do that. You are challenged by two complications of diabetes really cannot do that. You heal.  Non healing ulcers lead to amputation, are challenged by two complications of diabetes that can affect the nerves and blood vessels of the feet—diabetic nerve damage and poor circulation. These complications make it easier for you to get a foot ulcer that will not heal. Non healing ulcers lead to amputation, which will severely limit what you can do for yourself.

The good news is that by taking good care of your feet, you can often prevent diabetic foot complications. If you take care of your feet every day and get good medical care as soon you even suspect infections that make amputation necessary. In fact, at least 50% of amputations in people with diabetes could be prevented this way. You can protect your feet.

Because there are things that you can do right now to lower your risk and prevent the complications of diabetes, adjusting your food, physical activity, and medications t control your blood sugar may help you avoid or delay complications. Taking good care of your feet will help o choose you keep them. Ignoring your diabetes won’t do you any good and is likely to be harmful.

All of us have fears of growing old or disabled. It is normal and appropriate to express these emotions. The challenge is to choose to live well every day. Give yourself the best chance to remain fully functional and independent throughout your life.

Deciding to ignore diabetes and its complications does not stop them or make them go away. Learning about diabetes and your body gives you the power to take charge and direct the outcome so you can live life without fear.

You are looking for anything that might injure your foot, especially if you have lost feeling in your feet. Look over the top and sole of the shoe, shake it out, and run your hand into it, look and feel for any pebbles or foreign objects, or nails or tacks that may be coming through the sole. Look for cracked uppers or rough seams that could rub a blister. Replace shoes with worn or loose linings. If heels or soles are worn down, get new shies or have them resoled so your foot is getting the support it needs.

You may have seen instruction that say to cut your toenails straight across. However, this often leaves a sharp corner on the nail. It makes more sense to trim your nail s with contour of the toe, being sure all sharp edges are cut or filed smooth. The length o the toenail should be even with end of the toe.

It is not good idea to cut into the edges of the toenail or to try to treat ingrown toenails yourself. This sort of “bathroom surgery” is very risky for people with diabetes. The main point of safe toenail trimming is that if you do injure yourself; seek medical attention for any injury that does not heal promptly. If you have nerve damage or poor circulation and you cut yourself, see your provider right away. Do not wait until you develop an infection.

I prefer the nail clippers that look like a pair of wire cutters or pliers. They are available in large drugstores, beauty supply houses, and cutlery stores. It is not have a sterile tool, but your nail nippers should be kept clean, dry, and sharp. When you use a tool that is dull, you have to put more pressure on the clippers, and you can injure yourself if they slip.

Do not use pocketknives, kitchen knives, sewing scissors, or your teeth, or pick at your toenail with your fingers. Once you have diabetes, it is too risky to try to cut your toenails with anything except a good pair of toenail clippers.

is very common for one foot to be slightly larger or wider than the other. Of you need two different-sized shoes or if you have only one foot, you might want to contact NOSE (the national odd shoe exchange).NOSE help’s its members with mismatched or odd-sized feet to find shoes. Some members are matched with another member who has exactly the opposite shoe size problem so that they can share shoe purchases rather than having to buy two different- sixed pairs to come up with one wearable pair. Although it is rare, some stores will sell mismatched pairs.

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