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Winterizing Diabetic Feet
Cold winters can be a challenge for all of us who seek to stay active. For people who have diabetes mellitus, facing the elements can be especially challenging and should be approached with caution. Georgeanne Botek, DPM Medical Director of Cleveland Clinic’s diabetic foot clinic suggests the following tips to keep feet healthy:
- Protect your feet from extreme temperatures (cold or hot) by wearing socks that fit well and have soft elastic at the top. When active, consider wicking socks that will keep the moisture away.
- Make sure that your winter boots and footwear fit properly so they don’t constrict the blood flow to your feet. With a loss of protective sensation, cold weather can inhibit a person with diabetes from knowing when they are at risk for developing frostbite or when a pair of boots is too tight fitting and narrow.
- If your feet get wet from slush, rain or snow, immediately remove your shoes and socks and dry your feet.
- When you are sitting for prolonged periods, put your feet up and give your feet a workout by doing circular motions with your ankles and wiggling your toes.
- Our skin tends to get dry in the winter, which can lead to cracked skin. Be sure to keep your feet moisturized by applying good skin lotion, but be careful not to leave any between your toes.
- As always, wash and dry your feet every day and examine the tops and bottoms of your feet for cracked skin, blisters, sores and redness or tenderness. If a problem persists, see your doctor.
- Cut your toe nails after bathing when they are soft. Cut them straight across and use an emery board to smooth them. Don’t let your nails dig in to the foot.
- As always, eat a healthy diet and keep your blood sugar in your target range.
For more information on this topic or to schedule an interview, please contact Laura Ambro at email@example.com or 216.636.5876
Warning Signs of a Poor Diet
The chaos of everyday life can make it difficult to recognize subtle changes that manifest in the body. In an attempt to indicate that something is not right, the body usually sends a variety of warning signs, which we tend to dismiss pretty quickly.
Scientific evidence shows that the root of many health problems can stem from poor dietary habits that lead to various nutritional deficiencies. If you are unsure of where your diet stands, a good way to tell is whether you can identify with any of Cleveland Clinic registered dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick’s poor diet warning signs:
- Strands of Straw - Healthy functioning organs require adequate nutrition, and healthy hair follicles are no exception. Starvation diets that lead to severe protein-energy malnutrition can cause brittle hair or worse, hair loss.
- Premature Aging - While aging is inevitable, there is more research indicating that a nutritious diet is capable of promoting skin health and delaying extrinsic skin aging.
- Disastrous Oral Health - Specific warning signs of a poor diet include inflamed or bleeding gums, tooth loss, mouth pain and dental caries. If your teeth have been drilled one too many times it could be a sign that dietary changes are long overdue.
For more warning signs of a poor diet or to schedule an interview, please contact Bridget Peterlin at firstname.lastname@example.org or 216.444.5703.