Preventing foot ulcers

Managing your diabetes is the best way to prevent complications, including foot ulcers. This includes having good eating and exercise habits, checking your blood sugar often and taking your medicine as prescribed.

Taking care of your feet can help prevent problems. Good foot care includes the following:

• Look at your feet daily. Check your feet once a day for blisters, cuts, cracks, sores, redness, tenderness or swelling. If you have trouble reaching your feet, use a hand mirror to see the bottoms of your feet. Put the mirror on the floor if you can't hold it or ask someone to help you.

  People at high risk of foot ulcers also may use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the skin surface. A higher temperature might mean the start of a foot ulcer.

• Wash your feet daily. Wash your feet in warm water once a day. Don't use hot water. Dry your feet gently. Be sure to dry between the toes. Use a pumice stone to gently rub the skin where calluses form.

  Put talcum powder or cornstarch between your toes to keep the skin dry. Use a moisturizing cream or lotion on the tops and bottoms of your feet to keep the skin soft. Preventing cracks in dry skin helps keep germs out.

• Don't remove calluses or other foot growths yourself. To keep from hurting your skin, don't use a nail file, nail clipper or scissors on calluses, corns or warts. Don't use chemical wart removers. See your healthcare professional or foot specialist, called a podiatrist, to tend to these issues.
• Cut your toenails with care. Cut your nails straight across. Gently file sharp ends with an emery board. Ask someone for help if you can't trim your nails yourself.
• Don't go barefoot. To keep from hurting your feet, don't go barefoot, even around your house.
• Wear clean, dry socks. Wear socks made of cloth that pulls sweat away from your skin. This includes cotton and special acrylic fibers, but not nylon. Don't wear socks with tight elastic bands. These bands lower blood flow. Don't wear socks with seams that could rub your skin.

• Buy shoes that fit well. Buy comfortable shoes that support and cushion the heel, arch and ball of the foot. Don't wear tight shoes, high heels or narrow shoes that crowd your toes. If one foot is bigger than the other, buy shoes in the larger size.

  Your healthcare professional may suggest you wear shoes designed for your feet, called orthopedic shoes. These shoes fit the shape of your feet, cushion your feet and make sure that your weight is the same on both feet.

• Don't smoke. Smoking makes it harder for your blood to flow through your body. It also lowers the amount of oxygen in your blood. Smoking can make wounds worse and slow healing. Talk to your healthcare professional for help with quitting smoking.
• Schedule regular foot checkups. Your healthcare professional or podiatrist can look at your feet for signs of nerve damage, poor blood flow or other foot issues. Have a foot exam at least once a year. Have foot exams more often if you're at high risk of foot sores.