What do I need to know?
Keeping yourself healthy and maintaining good blood sugar levels will reduce the risk of you developing problems with your feet.
Make sure you have an annual foot check. This can be done by your GP/practice nurse/podiatrist. Your annual foot check will give you your “at risk status” for your feet. This tells you if you are at high, medium or low risk of developing foot ulcers.
What can I do to help myself?
It is a good idea to get into good habits and follow these few simple tips to help protect your feet. (If you are moderate to high risk you should be given additional information)
- Follow the general advice for healthy feet.
- Daily foot checks – using a mirror so you can see the bottom of your feet, check all around your feet, including in-between your toes. You are looking for any breaks in the skin (cuts, cracks or pressure areas), any areas that are red and hot. If you find any of these, bath them in salt water, dry and cover with a clean, dry dressing. Seek help ASAP from a Podiatrist, GP or practise nurse.
- Keep your blood sugar levels under control.
- Don’t walk around barefoot.
- The Diabetic foot app below has been designed by the college of Podiatry to give you useful information and videos.
What can the Podiatrist do for me?
You may be entitled to NHS Podiatry care. Please ask your GP or practise nurse for more information on this.
Your Podiatrist will assess your circulation using a Doppler. This is a hand-held device that enables the Podiatrist to listen to the sound of your pulses in your feet. Identifying the sound will give him/her an idea of the quality of your arteries in your feet.
Sensation tests will enable the Podiatrist to check if you have enough feeling in your feet to protect yourself from injury. If you have reduced sensation, you may not be able to tell if you have a stone in your shoe or if you stand on something that may puncture the skin.
Your Podiatrist can treat any corns or callus.
Give advice and treatment on skin conditions of the foot.
Provide footwear advice.
Provide treatment and advise on various foot deformities.
These are just some of the ways a Podiatrist can assist you. Please give us a call at the foot, knee and back clinic for more information or an appointment.
