Diabetes is a disease that arises as a result of high blood sugar levels and increases dramatically. This condition will later be able to make the insulin produced by the pancreas unable to function properly and unable to work to be able to control blood sugar levels properly. Conditions like these that cause diabetes to occur and become the most feared disease in the world.
One of the most dreadful risks of this disease condition is the injury that may arise on the legs. In the worst condition, diabetics who experience injuries to the feet can develop rotten feet and as a result, if this condition is more severe then the sufferer needs to be amputated to avoid undesirable conditions in the legs. Hearing conditions like this, you and all of us are certainly terrified at a terrible risk. For this reason, foot care for diabetics is often the knowledge needed.
Caring for feet in people with diabetes mellitus is generally easy and simple, not complicated and only requires good patience and thoroughness. Slowly when you are used to dealing with this condition, everything will run smoothly. The feet are an important part of the body to pay attention to. Because this section is the main foundation for doing various activities. If the feet are disturbed, of course all activities will be disturbed. (Also Read: Get to Know More In Diabetes Bloody Urine )
Then how exactly is the correct foot care for diabetics? Well, below are some explanations that are important for you to know.
Pay attention to foot cleanliness
Keeping feet clean is an important thing to always pay attention to. This is because proper foot hygiene will certainly prevent you from the risk of foot problems or diseases that may be irritating. For that, clean your feet at least 3 times a day or maybe more depending on how strenuous the activity you are doing. But one thing for sure is that you are obliged to always keep and pay attention to your feet from moisture.
So how do you clean good and proper feet for diabetics? Clean the feet using water and make sure that you clean the dirt to the gaps properly. Use soap or antiseptic if necessary and clean thoroughly.
Avoid rubbing your feet using coarse tools such as a brush or by using stones. Treat your feet well and gently. This is done to avoid cuts or blisters that can become large and painful sores.
Well, after cleaning, wipe your feet using a soft and clean cloth. Sprinkle baby powder so that your feet are not moist and still feel smooth. If you wear shoes, don’t forget to complement your feet by using soft socks.
Do not soak feet in hot water
Often when there is a disturbance or complaint in the feet such as itching, pain, soreness or tingling, we will tend to feel comfortable when soaking our feet using hot water. It’s just that, in diabetics this kind of treatment cannot be done arbitrarily. Do not immerse your feet in hot water above 40 degrees. This will make the epidermis on your feet thin and easily damaged.
Not only that, soaking the feet in hot water above 40 degrees will accelerate the process of nerve damage to the feet in diabetics. Hot water also has the risk of widening the skin pores, making it easier for germs to enter the feet.
Meanwhile, if you want to soak your feet using hot water, choose lukewarm water mixed with salt. The recommended composition for using salt is 1 liter of water compared to 2.5 percent salt. For example, when you pour 1 liter of water a lot, you can put 25 grams of salt in it and dissolve it evenly. This will be useful for avoiding the acidity of the foot skin and killing bacteria better.
It’s just that, pay attention also because you can’t use hot water with a salt solution too often to soak your feet. Just use 3 to 5 minutes 3 days 1 time in the afternoon. After that, flush your feet with neutral water and immediately dry your feet using a clean cloth and sprinkle with powder.
Keeping Nails Short
Keeping the nails on the toes short will prevent you from the risk of injury or abrasions due to too long toenails. In addition, this will also prevent you from the risk of getting dust or bacteria between your nails and getting trapped in them.
Because this condition will cause problems in the legs. Meanwhile, when there is an open wound, dirt on the nails may enter and bacteria get trapped in your feet. For that, make sure that you always keep your nails short.
Trim your nails following the groove. Don’t cut your nails too deep. Meanwhile, the important tips that can be taken are that you should cut your nails after bathing so that your nails are softer and easier to cut. Also, don’t use a sharp object to clean dirt on your nails as this creates a greater risk of injury or injury.
Not Ignoring Minor Foot Wounds
Foot rot that occurs in diabetics generally starts from small, unconscious injuries. Sometimes people with diabetes do not experience pain or are bothered by the injuries that occur on their feet. This is what slowly makes the wound on the foot become large and difficult to treat. For this reason, never ignore wounds that arise on your feet even though they are not too big.
If the wound is just a scratch or a small wound, then clean the wound using warm water and also use anti-germ soap. In addition, avoid rubbing wounds with iodine. Simply dry the wound using a clean dry cloth and then apply an antiseptic ointment to the wound.
The types of ointments that can be used are oxytetracycline. This ointment has been shown to be effective in treating wounds and preventing infections that may occur in the legs due to diabetes. After that, please cover the wound with sterile gauze.
In addition, avoid using plaster that is sold in the shop freely to cover your wound. Please note, the use of plaster contains acid so that it makes your skin moist, soft and easily damaged.
Avoid Feet from Hot or Warm
If your feet feel cold or even you feel cold, you should not put your feet close to the heat of the fire because this can damage the nerves in the feet. Do not also use leg warmers when you are about to sleep so that your feet are not sweaty and damp. It would be better if you dry your feet in the morning between 7 and 9 am. Because this will be more beneficial and provide vitamin D to the legs better.
