Diabetes & Foot Health

Diabetes affects your whole body, including your feet. It is very important to look after your feet, particularly if you have diabetes, as changes can occur to the blood circulation, skin quality, nails, pain sensation and joint movement. Any infections you acquire may be more difficult to clear and wounds can be slower to heal. 

Hard skin and callous should be removed by the podiatrist/chiropodist because if this is left untreated the skin can breakdown underneath and can lead to an ulcer. This is why it is vital that you look after your feet to prevent problems from occurring. Your podiatrist/chiropodist will be able to advise you on this and answer any questions you may have. 

You should look after your feet by washing and drying your feet thoroughly, checking for any changes to the skin and nails (including new lesions, cuts, colour change), keeping your nails short (check with the podiatrist/chiropodist to make sure you are doing this correctly) and moisturising (not in between the toes!). If you have any concerns about your feet, book an appointment with your podiatrist/chiropodist immediately so that they can check your feet and, if necessary start treatment straight away. 

At The Foot Space we provide diabetic foot checks which will show us the condition your feet are in and whether you or your doctor needs to be made aware of any changes. It is advisable that you have a foot check every year as your feet will change. The podiatrist/chiropodist will check your pulses, skin, nails, joints, skin sensation and let you know if you require any treatment. We will also let your doctor (G.P.) know of the results to ensure that all your records for diabetes are kept together. 

Foot checks last approximately 30 minutes.