Diabetic Foot Care

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is an umbrella term used to describe a group of diseases that cause high blood sugar. Blood sugar provides energy for all of the cells in your soft tissue and muscles. It also helps fuel your brain. However, when your blood sugar is too high for an extended period of time, it increases your risk of foot problems and other serious health issues, including heart disease. 

How does diabetes affect my feet?

Left unmanaged, high blood sugar can permanently damage the nerves in your legs and feet, a condition known as diabetic neuropathy. Neuropathy causes pain, tingling, and numbness, which can affect your balance and overall mobility. 

Diabetes also affects blood flow to your feet. If you don’t have enough blood flowing to your legs and feet, it makes it more difficult for cuts, lacerations, and other wounds to heal. Sometimes, diabetes prevents cuts from healing altogether, which can cause a serious infection and even gangrene. 

What is diabetic foot care?

Diabetic foot care is a branch of podiatry that works to prevent and treat foot-related health problems caused by diabetes. Dr. Carter-Robin offers several in-office services, but she firmly believes diabetic foot care starts at home. 

To lower your risk of complications, Dr. Carter-Robin recommends:

• Inspecting your feet daily
• Trimming your toenails carefully
• Wearing clean, dry socks
• Quitting smoking
• Getting periodic foot exams

If you have diabetes, you should also avoid wearing flip flops and sandals or going barefoot. Wearing close-toed shoes is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent an ingrown toenail, cut, or puncture wound. 

What types of diabetic foot care do you offer?

At her self-titled practice, Dr. Carter-Robin offers both preventive and integrative diabetic foot care. If you’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes and don’t know how to care for your feet, Dr. Carter-Robin can provide you with tips, tricks, and insights. 

Dr. Carter-Robin also offers routine diabetic foot care, including nail and callus debridement. She usually recommends that people with diabetes visit the office once every two months for routine diabetic foot care. In addition to preserving the health of your feet, these appointments present an opportunity to ask Dr. Carter-Robin questions about your condition or to discuss symptoms you’re experiencing.

To request your diabetic foot care appointment at Stephanie Carter-Robin, DPM, PC, call the office or click the online booking tool today.