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Diabetes Health: 10 Easy Tips to Protect Your Feet

It's important to take daily steps to protect your feet if you have diabetes and nerve damage. When you have nerve damage, over time you can lose feeling in your feet and toes. This is a serious problem because when you cannot feel your feet, an injury can go unnoticed. Your shoes may be too tight, you may get a small cut or blister, or you may have an injury and not realize it. Then, when you continue to walk on that injury it may become a foot ulcer, infected or gangrene over time.

Today, we're sharing 10 easy tips to help you protect your feet and avoid serious foot complications. If you have any other additional tips and suggestions, please share them in the comments below.

  1. See a Podiatrist Regularly: If you have diabetes you need to see a podiatrist at least once a year. You may need to go in more frequently depending on your specific risk factors. A podiatrist will assess the overall health of your feet, conduct a foot exam, and help you take steps to prevent foot problems.
  2. Check Your Feet Daily: As part of your regular routine, it's important to do daily foot exams. You'll want to check for any wounds or injuries, along with discoloration.
  3. Wear Socks Daily: If you have diabetes, you should never walk barefoot as you are more prone to injuries. Wearing socks provides a physical layer of protection for your feet against problems.
  4. Call Your Doctor: If you notice redness, swelling, or any type of injury you need to call your doctor or podiatrist and let them know. The sooner that you go to the doctor the better.
  5. Get Checked for Neuropathy: If you have diabetes, it's important to get tested for neuropathy. Neuropathy, or nerve damage, can cause pain and tingling sensations in your feet and toes. However, over time, painful nerve damage will turn into painless nerve damage. This means that eventually when you have nerve damage you won't be able to feel your feet. When you can't feel your feet you're more at risk of injury. Your doctor can tell you if you have nerve damage, how to keep it from spreading, and what to do to protect your feet.
  6. Manage Your Blood Sugar Levels: Talk with your doctor about how to manage and maintain blood sugar levels. This will help you maintain your overall health, including the health of your feet.
  7. Check Your Shoes: Before wearing shoes make sure to check the seams and integrity of the socks. Make sure they are not too tight and turn them upside-down to remove any pebbles or rocks.
  8. Use Moisturizer: Keep your feet from getting too dry and cracking my using moisturizer. Avoid putting it between your toes, as this can cause the skin to break down.
  9. Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help: If you have a question reach out to your doctor or CDE. Enlist the help of friends and family in doing foot checks, and never be afraid to ask questions.

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About Siren Socks

Siren Socks are smart socks that help detect potential issues with your feet. Siren Socks are an FDA-registered Class I medical device and are designed for people living with diabetes and neuropathy. The socks measure your foot temperature. Temperature monitoring has been shown to help reduce the number of diabetic foot ulcers in multiple clinical studies over the past 20 years and is considered the gold standard in diabetic foot care. The information from the socks is monitored by licensed nurses who contact you regularly to check on your health and the status of your feet. Your doctor reviews any issues that arise and determine if a clinic visit is necessary. Siren Socks are covered by Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and many private insurance plans. Interested patients can find a Certified Siren Provider near them and begin the enrollment process by clickinghere.

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