How can I reduce the risk of diabetes affecting my feet negatively?

With the potential increased risks diabetics face to their feet, we recommend a few helpful hints to ensure your risk is kept to a minimum. Here are some of our helpful diabetic foot management tips:

1. Moisturise your feet each day using a good quality moisturiser. This helps to minimise the build up of dry skin.
2. Check your feet daily to ensure you have not suffered any injuries to them that you were unaware of. This minimises the consequences of any reduced sensation you might be suffering from.
3. When cutting your toenails, purchase a good pair of “plier style” nail cutters rather than the traditional cutters. This style of nail clippers makes it much easier to cut a straight line with.
4. When trimming your nails, try to cut the nail straight across as much as possible, and avoid cutting down the corners too much.
5. If you are diabetic, make sure you get an annual assessment of your feet to check the state of their vascular and neurological health.
6. Make good footwear choices. Where possible make sure you wear a good quality comfortable shoe that is a good shape and fit for your foot.
7. This may go without saying but control your diabetes as well as possible. Better sugar level control leads to fewer diabetic foot complications