If you notice any of these symptoms contact your doctor immediately. Any delay can potentially put you at risk for more health complications and issues. Daily actions can make all the difference when it comes to keeping your feet healthy.

The following tips can make all the difference, and neglecting to perform them regularly could lead to serious complications. Brenda Borkgren, family medicine nurse practitioner who specializes in diabetes, reiterates the importance of taking care of your feet and looking for potential problems.

It is critical for diabetics to maintain good control of their blood glucose in order to prevent damage to the nervous system. UnityPoint at Home can not only help you treat and manage your Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, but can also help you find the shoes and other products needed at our Home Medical Equipment locations.

Our trained staff will help assess your health equipment needs and find the necessary products to help you put your best foot forward. How Does Diabetes Affect Your Feet When left uncontrolled, diabetes can cause a number of complications, including foot health issues.

Warning Signs of Diabetic Foot Problems Being aware of the warning signs of potential foot problems is imperative. Preventative Action Against Diabetic Foot Problems. Keep your eyes peeled for small cuts, scrapes, infected toenails, blisters or anything that may lead to an infection.

Check blood pressure normally. Wash feet daily with warm, not hot, water and be sure to dry thoroughly. Because of nerve damage in the toes, you could burn yourself without realizing water is too hot. Wear appropriate shoes. Break in new shoes slowly to avoid blisters from forming and avoid shoes that consistently rub a certain part of the foot.

Get daily exercise. Taking a short walk everyday can help increase your blood flow and circulation. Harsh chemicals can create the starting point of infections.

Keep tops and bottoms of feet moisturized. Quit smoking. Smoking can further decreased blood flow to the feet. If you spot something new you're concerned about, like a cut or blister on your foot , call your GP straight away and explain your situation. If you can't get through, call for advice.

If you're already having treatment for a foot problem and you don't have coronavirus symptoms, then your appointments should still carry on.

If you're worried about going to your clinic or hospital at this time or want to check whether your appointment is still going ahead, contact your diabetes team or call the number on your appointment letter. Contact your GP or foot protection team immediately or go to your nearest out-of-hours healthcare service if your GP or foot protection team aren't available.

It's also really important to take the weight off your foot. If it's serious, it's likely you'll need a course of antibiotics and your feet will be covered with a dressing.

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Diabetes and foot problems. But understanding how diabetes affects feet can help you avoid these complications. Raised blood glucose levels, also known as blood sugar, can damage the sensation in your feet.

Shoe inserts may also help cushion your step and decrease pressure on the soles of your feet. Be sure to get regular foot exams — Checking for foot-related complications should be a routine part of most medical visits; however, this is sometimes overlooked.

Don't hesitate to ask your provider for a foot check at least once a year, or more frequently if you have risk factors or notice any changes. See 'Clinical exams' above and 'Risk factors' above. Quit smoking — Smoking can worsen heart and circulation problems and reduce circulation to the feet.

If you smoke, quitting is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health and reduce your risk of complications. While this can be difficult, your health care provider can help you and provide other resources for support.

See "Patient education: Quitting smoking Beyond the Basics ". Importance of blood sugar management — In general, you can reduce your risk of all diabetes-related complications, including foot problems, by keeping your blood sugar levels as close to your target as possible.

Careful management of blood sugar levels can reduce the risk of circulation problems and nerve damage that often lead to foot complications. Managing your blood sugar requires seeing your doctor regularly, making healthy diet and lifestyle changes, and taking your medications as directed.

More information about managing your diabetes is available separately. See "Patient education: Type 1 diabetes: Insulin treatment Beyond the Basics " and "Patient education: Type 2 diabetes: Treatment Beyond the Basics " and "Patient education: Glucose monitoring in diabetes Beyond the Basics " and "Patient education: Preventing complications from diabetes Beyond the Basics ".

TREATMENT OF FOOT ULCERS. Superficial ulcers — Superficial ulcers involve only the top layers of skin picture 1. Treatment usually includes cleaning the ulcer and removing dead skin and tissue by a health care provider; this is called "debridement.

After debridement, the area will be covered with a dressing to keep it clean and moist. If the foot is infected, you will get antibiotics. You should clean the ulcer and apply a clean dressing twice daily or as instructed by your foot care provider; you may need to have someone help you with this.

Keep weight off the affected foot as much as possible and elevate it when you are sitting or lying down. Depending on the location of the ulcer, you might also get a cast or other device to take pressure off the area when you walk.

Your health care provider should check your ulcer at least once per week to make sure that it is healing properly. More extensive ulcers — Ulcers that extend into the deeper layers of the foot, involving muscle and bone picture 4 , usually require treatment in the hospital.

Laboratory tests and X-rays may be done, and intravenous IV antibiotics are often given. In addition to debridement to remove dead skin and tissue, surgery may be necessary to remove infected bone.

You may also get something called "negative pressure wound therapy"; this involves covering the ulcer with a bandage and using a special vacuum device to help increase blood flow and speed healing. If part of the toes or foot become severely damaged, causing areas of dead tissue gangrene , partial or complete amputation may be required.

Amputation is reserved for wounds that do not heal despite aggressive treatment, or times when health is threatened by the gangrene. Untreated gangrene can be life threatening.

Some people with severe foot ulcers and peripheral vascular disease poor circulation may require a procedure to restore blood flow to the foot. See "Patient education: Peripheral artery disease and claudication Beyond the Basics ".

While foot problems in diabetes are common and can be serious, keep in mind that there are things you can do to help prevent them. Quitting smoking, if you smoke, is one of the most important things you can do for your overall health and to prevent foot problems.

In addition, while daily self-care can be challenging, managing your diabetes from day to day, including foot care, is the best way to reduce your risk of developing complications. See 'Preventing foot problems in diabetes' above. Your health care provider is the best source of information for questions and concerns related to your medical problem.

This article will be updated as needed on our website www. Related topics for patients, as well as selected articles written for health care professionals, are also available. Some of the most relevant are listed below. Patient level information — UpToDate offers two types of patient education materials.

The Basics — The Basics patient education pieces answer the four or five key questions a patient might have about a given condition. These articles are best for patients who want a general overview and who prefer short, easy-to-read materials. Patient education: Type 2 diabetes The Basics Patient education: Nerve damage caused by diabetes The Basics Patient education: The ABCs of diabetes The Basics Patient education: Gangrene The Basics Patient education: Diabetes and infections The Basics.

Beyond the Basics — Beyond the Basics patient education pieces are longer, more sophisticated, and more detailed. These articles are best for patients who want in-depth information and are comfortable with some medical jargon. Patient education: Type 1 diabetes: Overview Beyond the Basics Patient education: Exercise and medical care for people with type 2 diabetes Beyond the Basics Patient education: Type 2 diabetes: Overview Beyond the Basics Patient education: Hypoglycemia low blood glucose in people with diabetes Beyond the Basics Patient education: Preventing complications from diabetes Beyond the Basics Patient education: Diabetic neuropathy Beyond the Basics Patient education: Glucose monitoring in diabetes Beyond the Basics Patient education: Quitting smoking Beyond the Basics Patient education: Peripheral artery disease and claudication Beyond the Basics.

Professional level information — Professional level articles are designed to keep doctors and other health professionals up-to-date on the latest medical findings. These articles are thorough, long, and complex, and they contain multiple references to the research on which they are based.

Professional level articles are best for people who are comfortable with a lot of medical terminology and who want to read the same materials their doctors are reading. Screening for diabetic polyneuropathy Evaluation of the diabetic foot Management of diabetic foot ulcers.

Why UpToDate? Product Editorial Subscription Options Subscribe Sign in. Learn how UpToDate can help you. Select the option that best describes you. Preventative Action Against Diabetic Foot Problems.

Keep your eyes peeled for small cuts, scrapes, infected toenails, blisters or anything that may lead to an infection. Check blood pressure normally. Wash feet daily with warm, not hot, water and be sure to dry thoroughly.

Because of nerve damage in the toes, you could burn yourself without realizing water is too hot. Wear appropriate shoes. Break in new shoes slowly to avoid blisters from forming and avoid shoes that consistently rub a certain part of the foot.

Get daily exercise. Taking a short walk everyday can help increase your blood flow and circulation. Harsh chemicals can create the starting point of infections. Keep tops and bottoms of feet moisturized. Quit smoking. Smoking can further decreased blood flow to the feet.

Even the smallest things can be fixed faster with the help of a professional Promoting Healthy Feet with UnityPoint at Home UnityPoint at Home can not only help you treat and manage your Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, but can also help you find the shoes and other products needed at our Home Medical Equipment locations.

Related Content. This should include:. Check your feet and toes, inspecting the tops, sides, soles, heels, and the area in between the toes. Contact your doctor immediately if you discover any sores, redness, cuts, blisters, or bruises. Wash your feet every day in warm water with mild soap.

Hot water and harsh soaps can damage your skin. Check the water temperature with your fingers or elbow before putting your feet in. Your diabetes may make it difficult to sense water temperature with your feet. Pat your feet to dry them and make sure to dry well. Infections tend to develop in moist areas, so make sure you dry the area between your toes well.

If the skin on your feet feels rough or dry, use lotion or oil. Do not use lotion between your toes. Following good foot care habits will go a long way toward keeping your feet healthy.

Here are a few helpful tips. But visual difficulty, nerve problems, or circulatory changes in the legs or feet can make this unsafe. Ask them to show you the correct way. If you have neuropathy, or nerve damage that has affected foot sensitivity, you may overlook cuts or bumps.

You can help protect your feet by wearing shoes at all times. If you have any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately. Delay may result in serious health complications.

Following the tips above can help you to avoid foot problems. As stated above, high blood sugar levels over time can cause nerve damage and circulation problems. These problems can cause or contribute to foot problems.

Left unnoticed or untreated, sores, ingrown toenails, and other problems can lead to infection. Poor circulation makes healing an infection difficult.

Infections that do not heal can cause skin and tissue to die and turn black.