Diabetic Foot Care: How to Avoid Complications

Why Diabetes Affects the Feet

Nerve Damage (Neuropathy)
Persistently high blood sugar can damage the nerves, especially in the feet and legs. This can cause numbness, tingling, burning, or loss of the ability to feel pain, heat, or pressure. Without pain as a warning, injuries go unnoticed.

Poor Circulation
Diabetes can narrow blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the feet. Less blood means slower healing and a higher risk of infection.

Foot Deformities and Pressure Points
Nerve damage can weaken small foot muscles, changing the foot's shape and creating pressure points where calluses and ulcers develop.

Reduced Infection Resistance
High blood sugar makes it harder for the body to fight infection, so even small wounds can worsen quickly.

Warning Signs You Should Never Ignore

• •Numbness, tingling, or burning in the feet
• •Loss of sensation, such as not feeling a pebble in your shoe
• •Cuts, blisters, or sores that don't heal
• •Redness, warmth, or swelling in a foot
• •Calluses with dark spots or bleeding underneath
• •Skin colour changes, such as pale, bluish, or very dark areas
• •Cold feet or noticeably weak pulses in the feet
• •Foul odour or discharge from a wound
• •Ingrown or fungal toenails
• •Cracked heels that bleed
• •Fever or chills alongside a foot wound

Daily Foot Care Routine

1. Inspect Your Feet Every Day
Look at the tops, soles, heels, and between the toes. If you can't see the soles, use a mirror or ask a family member for help. This is the single most useful habit, because early detection prevents most serious problems.

2. Wash Gently and Dry Thoroughly

• •Wash feet daily with lukewarm water and mild soap
• •Test water temperature with your elbow or a thermometer, since numb feet can be burned without noticing
• •Dry carefully, especially between the toes, where moisture encourages fungal infection

3. Moisturise Smartly
Apply a moisturiser to dry skin on the tops and soles to prevent cracks, but not between the toes, where extra moisture invites infection.

4. Trim Nails Carefully
Cut toenails straight across and file the edges. Avoid cutting too short or digging into corners. If your vision is poor, nails are thick, or sensation is reduced, have them trimmed by a healthcare professional.

5. Never Treat Calluses or Corns Yourself
Avoid blades, corn plasters, or chemical removers, which can cause wounds and burns on fragile skin. Seek professional care.

6. Protect Your Feet at All Times

• •Never walk barefoot, including at home, on hot floors, or on the beach
• •Avoid thin flip-flops and sandals with straps between the toes
• •Always wear socks with shoes

Choosing the Right Footwear

• •Choose well-fitting shoes with a wide toe box and good cushioning
• •Buy shoes in the afternoon, when feet are slightly swollen
• •Check inside shoes before wearing them for stones, loose stitching, or sharp edges
• •Break new shoes in gradually
• •Avoid pointed toes, high heels, and tight shoes
• •Wear soft, seamless socks, preferably cotton or moisture-wicking, and change them daily
• •People with deformities or high ulcer risk may benefit from specially fitted footwear or insoles recommended by a doctor

Other Habits That Protect Your Feet

• •Control blood sugar: Good long-term control slows nerve and vessel damage and is the foundation of prevention
• •Stop smoking: It further narrows blood vessels and delays healing
• •Stay active: Regular walking improves circulation, with proper footwear
• •Control blood pressure and cholesterol: They affect blood vessel health
• •Avoid soaking feet for long periods: It softens and damages skin
• •Avoid heating pads, hot water bottles, and heaters directly on feet: Numb feet can burn without warning
• •Keep follow-up appointments: Regular foot checks catch problems early

What to Do If You Find a Wound

• •Wash gently with clean water and cover with a clean, dry dressing
• •Do not pop blisters or cut away skin
• •Avoid antiseptics that sting or stain heavily, and don't apply home remedies, powders, or ointments without advice
• •Keep weight off the area as much as possible
• •See a doctor the same day or as soon as possible. In diabetes, even small wounds shouldn't wait

Seek Urgent Care If You Notice

• •Spreading redness, swelling, or warmth
• •Pus, foul smell, or black or dead-looking tissue
• •Fever, chills, or feeling generally unwell with a foot wound
• •Severe pain, or sudden coldness or colour change in a foot
• •A wound that hasn't improved in a few days

Infections in diabetic feet can spread quickly and need prompt treatment.

How Diabetic Foot Risk Is Assessed at Jigyasa Hospital

At Jigyasa Hospital, Dr. Ashish Gupta's approach typically includes:

1. Blood Sugar Review
Assessing recent control, including HbA1c, and adjusting treatment to reduce long-term nerve and vessel damage.

2. Foot Examination
Checking skin, nails, deformities, calluses, and any wounds.

3. Sensation and Circulation Checks
Testing sensation with simple bedside methods and assessing pulses, to identify nerve damage and circulation problems early.

4. Related Health Checks
Reviewing blood pressure, cholesterol, kidney function, and eye health, since diabetic complications often occur together.

5. Education and Follow-Up
Teaching patients and families daily foot care, advising on footwear, and scheduling regular reviews.

6. Coordinated Referral When Needed
If a wound, infection, or circulation problem needs surgical, vascular, or wound-care input, the patient is guided to appropriate specialised care.

Who Is at Highest Risk?

• •People with long-standing or poorly controlled diabetes
• •Those with known neuropathy or reduced sensation
• •Previous foot ulcer or amputation
• •Foot deformities or thick calluses
• •Poor circulation or peripheral artery disease
• •Smokers
• •Those with kidney disease or poor vision
• •Older adults and those living alone who may struggle to inspect their feet

Endocrinology & Diabetes Care at Jigyasa Hospital, Moradabad

• •Comprehensive diabetic foot assessment and risk evaluation
• •Expert diabetes management by Dr. Ashish Gupta, Endocrinologist
• •Sensation and circulation testing for early neuropathy detection
• •Coordinated referrals for wound care, vascular, and surgical needs

Book an Appointment: 7900903333

Address: Near Miglani Cinema, Rampur Road, Moradabad – 244001

Online Appointments: jigyasahospital.com

Endocrinology | Diabetic Foot Care | Diabetes Management | Neuropathy Screening | Ayushman Bharat Accepted

Key Takeaways

• •Diabetes damages feet through nerve damage (neuropathy), poor circulation, foot deformities, and reduced infection resistance.
• •Daily foot inspection is the single most important habit — check tops, soles, heels, and between toes using a mirror if needed.
• •Warning signs: numbness/tingling, non-healing wounds, redness/swelling, skin color changes, foul odor, fever with foot wound.
• •Foot care essentials: wash with lukewarm water, dry between toes, moisturize (not between toes), trim nails straight, never walk barefoot.
• •Seek urgent care for spreading redness, pus, black tissue, fever, or wounds not improving — diabetic foot infections spread quickly.