Walking without foot protection can be especially dangerous for those with diabetes and suffer from peripheral neuropathy. Not wearing shoes puts you at risk for injuries to the bottoms of your feet that you may not feel due to the loss of sensation from nerve damage.
Diabetes can cause nerve damage, called peripheral neuropathy, that makes you lose feeling in your feet. This can be a disaster if you're walking around without foot protection. Diabetes can also compromise your circulation. Your feet are far away from your heart, and blood flow reduces to your soles, heels, and toes.
But daily care is one of the best ways to prevent foot complications. About half of all people with diabetes have some kind of nerve damage. You can have nerve damage in any part of your body, but nerves in your feet and legs are most often affected. Nerve damage can cause you to lose feeling in your feet.
Diabetes can make pedicures dangerous: Reduced circulation can make injuries and infections more likely, and take longer to heal. Peripheral neuropathy can reduce feeling in your feet, making you unable to tell if the technician is hurting you, or if a hot footbath is scalding you.
High blood sugar from diabetes can cause damage to the nervous and circulatory systems. Those with diabetic nerve damage can experience decreased sensation in their feet—making their feet prone to injury. Using diabetic socks can help keep feet dry, enhance circulation, and reduce the chance of a foot injury.
Government sources recommend cotton and wool socks for diabetic patients to help keep feet dry. 4,5 They also reinforce the need to wear socks at all times. Many do not make specific fabric recommendations, but they do suggest that people avoid tight socks.
“Socks that are too tight are going to impair circulation,” Tina said. On the other hand, loose socks are more likely to move around and cause friction. Fit is especially important for people with diabetes who have poor circulation and experience swelling in the feet or legs.
People with diabetes can easily get wounds on their feet. Improper cutting or care of toenails and feet is the leading cause that could lead to toe finger and foot amputation.
Not having enough blood flowing to your legs and feet can make it hard for a sore or an infection to heal. Sometimes, a bad infection never heals. The infection might lead to gangrene. Gangrene and foot ulcers that do not get better with treatment can lead to an amputation of your toe, foot, or part of your leg.
Avoid soaking your feet, as this can lead to dry skin. Dry your feet gently, especially between the toes. Moisturize your feet and ankles with lotion or petroleum jelly. Do not put oils or creams between your toes — the extra moisture can lead to infection.
A diabetic foot ulcer typically appears as an open sore or wound on the bottom of the foot or the toes. The ulcer may be round or oval in shape and may be surrounded by red or discolored skin. The sore may be shallow or deep, and it may be painful to the touch.
Although there's no cure for type 2 diabetes, studies show it's possible for some people to reverse it. Through diet changes and weight loss, you may be able to reach and hold normal blood sugar levels without medication. This doesn't mean you're completely cured. Type 2 diabetes is an ongoing disease.
Walking without foot protection can be especially dangerous for those with diabetes and suffer from peripheral neuropathy. Not wearing shoes puts you at risk for injuries to the bottoms of your feet that you may not feel due to the loss of sensation from nerve damage.
Individuals with diabetes also have been shown to have less ankle mobility, ankle moment, and ankle power during walking compared with individuals without diabetes.
The official word is called “Diabetic neuropathy”. What this means is that the tiny nerve ending in the fingers are being affected. The consequences of this is that you may have to have your finger removed. Many with Diabetes fingers have had the finger removed due to the damage to the nerves.
Without enough insulin, your brain cannot make use of that sugar. Since the brain relies on a second-by-second delivery of sugar for fuel—and your brain doesn't know you have diabetes—it's going to cue cravings and hunger to encourage you to eat.
People with diabetes also have a high risk of developing PAD. Uncontrolled blood sugar levels can cause the blood vessels in the legs and feet to become narrow and stiff. The resulting reduction in blood flow to the feet can lead to: purple or blue coloring.
The American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes consume fruit in moderation, including bananas. This doesn't mean you should ignore those carbohydrates, but you should consider how many carbs you need daily.
The recommended serving size for bananas for diabetics is one extra-small banana, which is a banana that is no more than 6 inches long. A banana of this size contains 19 grams of carbohydrates, which is about a third of the 45 grams to 60 grams of carbohydrates most diabetics can consume in each meal.
Do not eat white bread, chips, and pastries, which quickly increase blood sugar. Avoid processed foods and meats as they will be rich in salt and oil. Restrict fried and fatty foods. Do not take full fat dairy products.
Poor blood circulation often causes swollen feet and ankles when you have diabetes. Swelling in the feet and ankles is caused by excess fluid that builds up in the body tissue. The swelling is called edema, which is often caused by an underlying issue such as congestive heart failure, kidney disease, or diabetes.
Consider socks made specifically for patients living with diabetes. These socks have extra cushioning, do not have elastic tops, are higher than the ankle and are made from fibers that wick moisture away from the skin. Wear socks to bed. If your feet get cold at night, wear socks.
Wearing them 24/7 could also be hard on your skin. Nighttime is a good time to peel them off, rub in some lotion and let your skin breathe. But it's not necessarily harmful to wear compression garments while you're sleeping, especially for short periods.