Diabetes is the theme for the 2009 Feet for Life Month and the campaign features foot health advice on caring for the diabetic foot.
If you’re a diabetes sufferer, looking after your feet is incredibly important – it helps to keep your skin in good
condition and prevents injuries to your feet and damage to your skin. Just a few minutes each day can be enough to
help prevent serious problems.
1) Check your feet. You’re looking for any changes from yesterday as well as the previous days and weeks.
2) Wash your feet with warm water and mild soap daily. Check with your hand or elbow that the water is not too hot.
3) Moisturise. Apart from in-between the toes.
Many people with diabetes know that they have to take special care of their feet, but they perhaps don’t know why. Understanding
how and why foot problems develop will help you to take action to prevent them.
Extensive research
The new patient leaflet, Diabetes and your feet, was put together with the support of Scholl through a programme led by podiatrist and Society member Judith Anders.
The programme included extensive consultation and focus groups with people with diabetes and health professionals who specialise in foot care and diabetes. The information is evidence based and considered by many to be the gold standard in health information.
Scholl is part of SSL International and produces footwear products and footwear (Scholl shops are owned by a separate company not connected to SSL International).
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Get informed!
This booklet explains:
-how diabetes can affect your feet and how you can:
- prevent foot problems
-keep your skin and toenails in great condition
- look after your feet when you’re on holiday
By understanding how your feet can change with diabetes and by learning how to spot those changes, you can take positive action
to keep your feet healthy.
This information is for anyone with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It will also help you whether you have had diabetes for a few months or
many years. Your family, friends or your carer may also find it useful.
The information in this booklet should not replace any information your health professional gives you. However, it can help
you to understand what they tell you.
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Download your free copy
On Thursday 11 June 2009 Libby Dowling of Diabetes UK and Lorraine Jones of the Society of Chiropodists & Podiatrists were interviewed on BBC Radio Cornwall about diabetes link to feet. Listeners were informed of the potential foot problems resulting from diabetes and the statistics that there are currently 100 amputations per week due to diabetes and that 85% of those amputations could have been avoided with better foot care through early identification.
Lorraine Jones expressed a call to everyone, particularly people with diabetes, to check their feet on a daily basis to prevent problems and for their general quality of life.
As part of Feet for Life Month around 20 diabetes amputees and 80 other people came together for a photocall at the 'Body Worlds and the Mirror of Time' exhibition at London's 02 arena to highlight how diabetes causes 100 amputations a week in the UK. The day was organised by Diabetes UK and various local newspapers have reported on the event.
