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Categories: Consequences of diabetes
Consequences of diabetes |
On this site you will mostly see medical facts

Diabetes and the feet

Since any little wound can have bad consequences, you should take care of your feet and clean them every day! Feet from diabetics are in danger for several reasons:
  • Wounds from diabetics need a long time to heal
  • Diabetics often suffer from neuroparalysis and thus, they do possibly not realize wounds
  • A badly confirmed diabetes makes the blood circulation worse. Consequently, there will be a lack of O2 and the tissue could die off. Therefore you often have to do feet gymnastics!
Some advice concerning shoes, toenails, socks and the skin of the feet:

Shoes

Diabetics who already suffer from neuroparalysis and circulatory problems in their legs should avoid tight shoes. Good shoes should have enough place for toes; they should have no seams in the front and they should consist of real leather.

Bying shoes, you should regard the following:
  • Buy them in the afternoon, because feet mostly get bigger within the course of the day
  • High heels shift the pressure on the front of the feet. Thus, heels should not be higher than 5 cm
  • New shoes should be worn in slowly. First, you should wear them for ten minutes while sitting and then you should walk with them for thirty minutes over several days. After that, your feet should absolutely examined for tender spots.


    • Nails
    Nails should be cut in a way appropriate to their natural form. Thus, the edge of the nails is parallel to the head of the toes.
    Edges of the nails should be cut in a way that they cannot grow into the skin.
    Reddenings around the nails could indicate toenails that are grown into the skin.
    In case of a nail fungus, a lot of patience is needed for a treatment with medecine. Moreover, an expert of feet care should do the treatment.
    Socks


    • Good socks reduce the rubbing between the skin and the shoe and they absorb sweat. Socks should consist of cotton, wool or silk.
    • Tight waistbands impede the blood circulation.
    • High seams or holes in the socks support blistering or a horny skin.
    • Socks should be changed every day and in case of foot fungus, it should be possible to wash them with 60°.

    Skin


    Use a little hand mirror to improve seeing the sole of your feet:
    • Between the toenails often develops a foot fungus. The skin then gets white, rough and itches.
    • A dry and rough skin can support bacteria. You should often use a creme that supplies the skin with moisture (cremes with glycerine or urea). Pure greasy ointment stops the warmth which results in inflammations.
    • A callus should carefully removed with a pumice stone. Don’t use sharp instruments.
    • You should always take care of the maximum temperature of a feet bathing which should be 37 to 39°. Due to neuroparalysis, high temperatures cannot be felt and you would be in danger of burnings.

    Adresses:


    You could get adresses from feet treatment institutions at the:

    Arbeitsgemeinschaft Diabetischer Fuß der Deutschen Diabetesgesellschaft, Informationsbüro Heinrich Heine Universität, Klinik für Stoffwechselernährung und Erkrankung, Postfach 10 10 07, 40001 Düsseldorf, Telefone: 0211/ 210 67 37

    You could get adresses from feet specialists in Germany at the Deutscher Podologen Verband, telephone: 02951/ 93 25 00

    Bath essences:


  • Apple vinegar: Against itchiness, foot fungus, other fungus diseases and bacteria
  • Pine needle: Sedative. Good for sweat feet and functional circulatory problems.
  • Pure curd soap: Has a cleaning, an anti-inflammatory and a skin-soaking function. Useful for onychitis and for soaking big horny skin shifts.
  • Lavendel: Against circulatory problems and sweat feet.
  • Wheat bran: Healing function in case of wounds and eczema.
  • Pewter leaves: Support the tissue and care the skin. Against circulatory problems, inflammations and ulcers.


Too less blood makes the feet getting cold...


Circulatory problems are part of the dangerous consequences of diabetes mellitus at the feet. Therefore, we listed some symptoms of circulatory problems:
  • Cold feet
  • Pale or blue skin, especially at the toes or the feet edges
  • Pains or cramps in one’s calfs while going or climbing up stairs
  • Pains that emerge while lying improve when hanging the feet out of the bed
  • Heel bones, edges of the feet and/ or tips of one’s toe have some small tender spots, wounds or injures

Source: Information of the company AccuChek/Roche
Translated by Kristin Henke
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