What is the best way to stay aware of the health of your feet? The most important part of taking care of your feet is to keep your eyes on them! Occasionally checking between your toes and looking under your feet for any abnormalities is very important. You never know when a new freckle, wound, or bruise might pop up that needs close attention to make sure it doesn’t turn into anything more serious. Many patients with diabetes have neuropathy in their feet and might scratch or damage their feet without knowing. It’s even more important for diabetic patients to check their feet daily! Diabetic patients also need to see a podiatrist regularly, whether you are experiencing problems or not.
What else can you do to maintain proper foot health? Daily stretching! The key is stretching far but not to the point of discomfort. You can roll your foot on a lacrosse ball or something similar and apply light pressure.
Cut your toenails straight across to prevent ingrown toenails. If you have poor circulation, use sterile instruments to avoid an infection. Look at your nails closely. If you notice thickening or yellowing of any nail, you may need to make an appointment to see a podiatrist. Wash your feet in warm water but don’t soak them to avoid drying them out. After they are clean, apply a moisturizer such as coconut oil, petroleum jelly, or other lotion. Make sure you put on a pair of socks afterwards so you avoid slipping. When you go outside, a common mistake is forgetting to put sunscreen on your feet. Put the sunscreen in-between your toes as well to prevent skin cancer.
It’s also important to wear supportive shoes that fit properly. Sometimes it’s necessary to see a specialist, like Feet First Sports to achieve the proper fit. Speaking of shoes, avoid wearing high heels regularly. When you do wear high heels, try to keep the heel height below 2 inches. This will reduce the strain on your arch and ankles.
At Howard County Foot and Ankle, we treat everything from warts and ingrown toenails to flatfeet and heel pain. Many people come to us for diabetic foot care or simply because they have foot pain or ankle pain and don’t know the cause of it. We handle emergencies such as fractures and infections as well. Dr. Bui performs a wide variety of surgeries and specializes in reconstructive surgery of the foot and ankle. You won’t find a better foot doctor than our highly skilled and highly qualified, Dr. Christina Bui! Call or email us to ask any questions you might have. We would love to be your go-to Podiatrist!
