I have type 2 diabetes. What should I do to take care of my feet and prevent diabetic foot complications?

Hello,

To take care and prevent complications of diabetic, it essentially consists of applying measures to minimize the risk of injury / infection and examining the feet periodically. In fact, the danger is that diabetes can decrease the sensitivity of the feet in the long term and therefore some injuries can go unnoticed, and can therefore easily become a serious infection when they are not detected or treated adequately. To learn more about how diabetes affects the feet, I invite you to consult this article from Wounds Canada for more details.

It is recommended to wash the feet with lukewarm water and mild soap and then dry them well, especially between and under the toes, to avoid excessive humidity which can cause infection (Foot care). You can apply moisturizer every day to your feet except between the toes, and wipe off any unabsorbed lotion. At the same time, examine your feet to detect any wounds, calluses, cracks, abnormal coloring. I recommend that you wear cotton stockings, change them every day, and choose well-fitting shoes.

If you notice a wound on your foot, the first thing to do is to clean it with cooled salt water and then cover it with a dry bandage, making sure not to squeeze your foot. Thereafter, you should check every day for signs of infection: warmth, redness, swelling, particular smell, or discharge. Consult your doctor as soon as possible if you have these signs.

My pleasure, 

Lan Thi Duong, pharmacy student (supervised by Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist)