Getting a Foot Up On Diabetes Care

By Jan Chait "Check your feet." How many times have we heard it? Many times, however, that's all we're told: Check your feet. What am I looking for? What do I do if I find it?! And, come to think of it, why am I checking my feet? Furthermore, they tell us, put lotion on our feet, but not between our toes. Huh? Why not? It's a puzzlement. So I asked my podiatrist, Ken Krueger, DPM, to 'splain some of this stuff. What we're looking for are things such as: • A red spot • A crack or opening in the skin • A blister • Any drainage (or odor) • Any change in skin color "All of these are signs of an injury that can easily lead to a much more significant situation," Krueger says. Reduced blood flow, decreased nutrients in the blood and/or decreased feeling (nerve damage, or neuropathy) results in an inability to physically feel that something is wrong. Therefore, a visual inspection is necessary to see if there is a problem with a foot or your feet. And get into the habit of checking your feet every day. "I cannot tell you how many times I have patients come in and, when I look at the bottom of the foot, there is something like a child's toy imbedded into the tissue and it had been there for months," Krueger says. Don't go in with a Lego or Polly Pocket imbedded in your foot. Check 'em. If you can't see the bottoms of your feet, have somebody else look at them or use an unbreakable mirror. Check with a medical supply store for a mirror on a stick especia...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs