>>Vinod Patel: If you have diabetes, it is essential that you look at your feet every day and conduct
a brief examination at least. This is because minor problems like scratches can become infections,
infections can lead to an infection of the whole foot and that could lead to hospital
admission If that don't resolve very quickly, that can
actually result in amputation. If you cannot check your own feet it may not be possible
because you simply cannot see the bottom of the foot for example then you could use a
mirror and you can buy these mirrors or just use a mirror at home, or you could ask a member
of your family, maybe to look at the bottom of your foot on a regular basis.
>>Gill: I know the risks I run if I don't look after my feet, so I look after them very carefully,
I wash my feet regularly and always remember to dry them, specially between the toes so
that we don't get any soggy areas that can become infected.
>>Vinod Pate: All you do is see whether you can feel yourself
touching that your various toes on both your feet just using your index finger is all you
need to do and you should be easily be able to feel light touch. If you cannot that can
indicate early nerve damage and it’s very important you pick that up and report that
to your doctor or your nurse.
>>Gill: I'm looking for cracks in the skin or red areas maybe the shoes have rubbed a little
bit, the cracks in the heels can be quite difficult to get them better and when you
use medication on them you need to be careful you are using things that are good for people
with diabetes, some of them can be quite strong and may do more harm than good. So check before
you put foot lotion on but remember to use it when you need it.
>>Vinod Pate: In relation to looking after your own feet there are several aspects of care that you
need to be aware of. First of all you must wear comfortable shoes, if shoes are tight,
they are very likely to damage the skin and result in infection and even ulceration. So
shoes must be of a good quality, so that the weight of the body is distributed evenly around
the foot and there is no significant pressure around a particular small part of the foot.
It is also important to have good quality socks because if your socks have seams that
are too prominent they can bite into the skin and that can result in damage to the skin.
You also need to make sure that you avoid treading on sharp objects, so for example,
when you go to the beach, it's very important that you don't walk barefooted and that is
a several reasons. First of all you cannot risk damage from the
sand and stones and shell and other things that are on the beach but also you may even
get heat damage if the sand is too hot.
>>David: You know, make sure you haven't got long nails
because that can cut into your toes, especially if you have smaller toes which can tend to curl under.
>>Vinod Pate: When you examine your own feet, you should
be looking out for some common features that can indicate early problems with the foot
and these are going to be a foot that is too hot, a foot that is too cold, a foot that
is swollen, a foot that is misshapen, and clearly you need to look out for any breaks
in the skin and these could just be cuts and abrasions or distinct ulcers.
When it comes to corns or callus formation it's tempting to start removing it yourself
at home, do not use sharp blades, make sure you get professional advice on how to deal
with callous formation because if you use a sharp object, it's very easy for the foot
to become infected.
Other features of the foot that you must look out for are: redness and pain. However, if
you think they have any foot problem so that's numbness, an infection, a break in the skin
swelling or even the foot becoming a different shape as it were, you must seek advice more
urgently and this can be done by your General Practitioner, your Nurse or your Podiatrist.