Learning About Podiatrist Care

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Learning About Podiatrist Care

Hi there, I am Paul Mondeta. On night, while hard at work on the computer, I decided it was time for a snack. I closed up my computer and stood up, ready to exit the room. Suddenly, the computer slipped from my grasp and landed, corner down, on my little toe. The pain was excruciating and I hopped around like a madman while yowling about my rapidly swelling toe. I went into the doctor the next day and was referred out to a podiatrist for care. The podiatrist helped me regain full usage of my toe despite extensive damage to the joint. I will use this site to talk about different techniques and tools used by podiatrists to treat similar conditions.

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Basic Daily Foot Care For Diabetics

If you're diabetic, taking care of your feet properly is extremely important. Diabetes can damage the nerves in your feet so you don't have as much sensation, and it can also restrict blood flow to your feet. If you get a wound or have other foot complications and it becomes infected, you could end up needing emergency medical treatment. In extreme cases, diabetics with severe foot issues or infections may require a foot or leg amputation. Here are some things you can do at home to help take care of your feet and toes.

Washing

It's important to keep your feet very clean. Even if you don't shower every day, you need to wash your feet with warm water and a mild soap at least once per day. Pat your feet gently with a towel to dry them instead of rubbing, which can lead to irritated, broken skin. Take care to dry thoroughly between each toe.

Moisturizing

Apply a gentle moisturizing lotion to your feet after washing and drying them. Don't apply lotion between your toes, however. Trapping moisture between your toes where there isn't much airflow can lead to sores. The spaces between your toes are dark and warm, so if they're also moist from lotion you could get a skin infection when the natural bacteria from your skin has a perfect damp environment to grow.

At-Home Examinations

It's important to catch any dry skin, redness, blisters, calluses or any other foot problems early. If you have trouble inspecting your feet without assistance, a magnified hand mirror can help you see every part of your feet. You should be wearing socks and shoes as much as possible and avoiding going completely barefoot except for showering, so you won't have an opportunity to visually inspect them throughout the day. Examine your feet thoroughly on a daily basis while you're washing and moisturizing. 

If you notice any blisters or sores, put a clean bandage on the wound and call your doctor as soon as possible. Even minor foot issues need professional medical care if you're a diabetic, so don't try to pop blisters, shave calluses, cut out ingrown toenails or heal any foot sores on your own.

If you've been diagnosed with diabetes and you don't see a podiatrist regularly, ask your family doctor for a referral. Regular visits to a podiatrist's office can help you manage your preventative foot care and help catch any issues early so they're less likely to lead to a major complication. Visit a site like http://www.advancedfootclinic.org for more help.


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