Diabetic Foot Care Dos and Donts

Description: FOOT INFECTIONS Understanding the Do's and Don'ts of Diabetic Foot Care. Persons with diabetes routinely attend diabetes teaching clinics where they receive valuable diabetes education. A lot of different information is presented including lists of Do’s and Don’ts of foot care. In order to follow or adhere to a list of do’s and don’ts of foot care it is important to understand the list. As a diabetic foot care specialist I commonly ask new patients what they have learned about foot care. Some are able to repeat a list of do’s and don’ts. When I respond by asking, “Why should do this or why shouldn’t you do that?” the common answer is because, “If I don’t I could lose my leg or Uncle Joe lost a leg to diabetes…” It is a fact that persons with diabetes have a higher risk for leg amputation than persons without diabetes. It is also true that persons with diabetes are individuals. The effect of diabetes will vary from individual to individual. Likewise the feet will be affected on an individual basis. Some persons will be at extremely high risk for foot problems and amputation; whereas, others may not be at much more risk than an average person without diabetes.