Is it good for people with diabetes to soak their feet?

Written by Li Hui Zhi
Endocrinology
Updated on August 31, 2024
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Diabetic foot is primarily classified into a level 0 diabetic foot and levels 1 to 5 diabetic foot. If it is a level 0 diabetic foot and the patient does not have any wounds, then soaking the feet is permissible. Level 0 diabetic foot mainly refers to a high-risk diabetic foot, in which case soaking is allowed. However, care must be taken to ensure that the water temperature is not too high to avoid scalding the skin. If the diabetic foot has reached levels 1 to 5, where the patient has wounds and ulcerations, soaking the feet is not recommended, as it can easily worsen and exacerbate the wound ulcerations. Therefore, people with diabetes should consider their individual conditions to determine whether foot soaking is suitable.

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Written by Zhao Xin Lan
Endocrinology
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Diabetic foot VSD (Vacuum Sealing Drainage) nursing key points

If you have diabetic foot, it is necessary to check the condition of your feet every day. When washing your feet daily, observe the color and shape of the feet, whether there is any skin damage, and whether there are changes in local color. Secondly, more professionally, you can feel the pulsation of the dorsal artery of the foot to see if it is normal. Third, insist on washing your feet daily to maintain cleanliness and hygiene. Be careful that the water temperature for soaking should not be too high, preferably not exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, and do not soak for more than 30 minutes. Additionally, trimming nails is very important. Do not tear them with your hands to avoid damaging the skin of your feet; use scissors to cut long nails. Another important aspect is shoe wearing. It is best to wear loose-fitting shoes to avoid rubbing against the feet and breaking the skin.

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Written by Yang Li
Endocrinology
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Early signs of diabetic foot disease

Some early signs of diabetic foot disease include a decrease in skin temperature of both feet, such as constantly feeling coldness in the feet, which indicates insufficient blood supply. Another symptom is peripheral neuropathy, which manifests as numbness or burning in both feet, and unusual sensations like stepping on cotton or feeling like ants are crawling. These are also early signs of diabetic foot disease. Once there is a break in the skin surface, it is crucial to be vigilant as it might be diabetic foot disease. Diabetic foot disease is a very serious condition and one must take early preventive measures. At the slightest sign of any skin break, it is essential to seek proper treatment at a standard hospital.

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Written by Li Hui Zhi
Endocrinology
58sec home-news-image

Is it good for people with diabetes to soak their feet?

Diabetic foot is primarily classified into a level 0 diabetic foot and levels 1 to 5 diabetic foot. If it is a level 0 diabetic foot and the patient does not have any wounds, then soaking the feet is permissible. Level 0 diabetic foot mainly refers to a high-risk diabetic foot, in which case soaking is allowed. However, care must be taken to ensure that the water temperature is not too high to avoid scalding the skin. If the diabetic foot has reached levels 1 to 5, where the patient has wounds and ulcerations, soaking the feet is not recommended, as it can easily worsen and exacerbate the wound ulcerations. Therefore, people with diabetes should consider their individual conditions to determine whether foot soaking is suitable.

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Written by Zhao Xin Lan
Endocrinology
55sec home-news-image

How to treat diabetic foot early

First of all, in the early stages of diabetes, it is necessary to control blood sugar to prevent the occurrence of diabetic foot. If diabetic foot has already appeared in the early stages of diabetes, then it is important to prevent the further development of diabetic foot into late-stage ulceration and gangrene. Firstly, proper care should be taken to avoid damage to the skin. Secondly, it is crucial to control blood sugar, complete examination of lower limb vascular ultrasonography or angiography, ascertain the extent of lower limb vascular lesions, and improve blood circulation. If there is an occlusion of the blood vessels in the lower limbs, surgical methods should be used as soon as possible to open the vessels and maintain blood supply, to prevent further deterioration.

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Written by Luo Han Ying
Endocrinology
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Treatment of diabetic foot numbness

If diabetic foot feels numb, it is a manifestation of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Diabetic foot is a complication that occurs after diabetes has advanced to a certain degree, so it is normal for a person with diabetic foot to feel numbness. Some patients with severe diabetic neuropathy may not even feel pain during debridement, which involves cleaning the local tissues. A healthy person would definitely feel pain, but a diabetic patient, due to their neuropathy, may not feel much, if any, pain. For such patients, the main treatments are firstly, definitely controlling blood sugar and blood pressure; secondly, using medications that nourish the nerves; and thirdly, improving circulation to aid local blood flow.