Diabetic Foot Schedule
Daily Task / Mon / Tue / Wed / Thurs / Fri / Sat / Sun / SunInspect Feet (mirror)
Wash Feet
(lukewarm water, no soaking)
Dry Feet(between
toes!)
Apply Moisturizer
Check Socks (no seams, or rough spots)
Check Shoes (shake them, feel with hands)
During each snack and meal remove shoes to increase circulation to the feet
Exercise feet
(walk, range of motion)
Notes:
1. If you can't see in a magnified mirror yourself, get somebody to check for you. Look at your feet daily.
2. Wash feet daily, tepid water. Water temperature can be checked using your elbow. Your feet may have sensory loss. Do not share foot care instruments, such as nippers or foot baths. ( you can try antidandruff shampoos for athletes foot)
3. Do not soak feet. Excess drying of the skin, and sensory loss from diabetes make this a must.
4. Dry between toes. Dampness breeds bacteria. Do not apply creams between toes. Avoid Salicylic Acid creams that will be too hard on a diabetic's skin. (Consider antifungal creams after consult with family physician, Get assessed by family physician/podiatrist.) Avoid the use of topical “corn or callous pads” they damage the skin.
5. Cotton or wool socks without seams, diabetic socks, no tight elastic tops. Try to switch from hosiery, as the nylon does not breath. The socks must breath. Change daily or more if needed.
6. Use all your senses, check for smell as well. Odd smell, foul smell could indicate infection that needs to be attended to. Do not at any time attempt “at home bathroom surgery” with any sharps, such as callous blades or cheese grater type callous removers. Do not use pumice or any other porous callous scrubber because they harbor bacteria. If at any time you see that any wounds, cuts, abrasions, blisters etc. are not healing, seek medical help as soon as possible.
7. Using your hands to check shoes and socks ensures that even the smallest bump or pebble can be felt, these can cause problems in as little as 20 minutes.
8. Smoking constricts the blood vessels decreasing the oxygen to your feet, stop smoking with the help of a family physician!
9. Control your blood sugar, watch your diet, weight and exercise. Keep follow-up appointments with your diabetes nurse/educator, physician, dietitian, and exercise therapist. Remember to get your blood sugar monitor regularly checked with the lab to compare values. Get waist girth assessed to see risk for cardio-metabolic disease.
10. Monitor for signs of infection or potential areas of infection: redness, blueness, blackness, swelling, pain (or no pain, you may have lost feeling), hot skin, or very cool/pale skin, blisters, cuts, black or discolouration under the toenails (especially if you don't remember stubbing your toe. You can get skin cancer underneath the nails/feet), odour, discharge, possible fever, or feeling unwell. Seek medical help for the above conditions, always.
11.Watch for Charcot Foot symptoms: Foot/leg swelling, warm/hot limb or foot, deformed foot, sometimes with collapsed arch, can have pain or no pain (depends on sensation in the foot), bounding pulse in the limb, can have muscle weakness:
This is a medical emergency and requires immediate medical attention. NO Weight bearing. Must get a cast to stabilize joints.