Personal Care
What is meant by personal care?
Personal care is taking care of your whole self. Taking care of your
total health is an important part of taking care of your diabetes. To take
better care of yourself, you will need to:
- take care of your skin, especially your feet.
- protect yourself from getting hurt.
- learn the early signs of infection and what to do.
- keep your scheduled appointments with your doctor and health care team,
your treatment plan will change over time.
- learn new ways to cope with diabetes and the stress in your life.
How can I take care of my skin?
Skin becomes dry as you age. Dry skin will peal and crack. Germs
can get into the open and cracked spaces and cause infections. If your
skin is dry, use a lotion on the dry areas every day. If some places of
your skin stays too moist you can use a powder (one that does not have corn
starch) to keep it dry.
Why do I need to take special care of my feet?
Over time diabetes will cause the blood flow to the feet and legs to slow
own. When there is less blood flow, small cuts or problems tale longer to
heal and may become very serious. Also diabetes can cause your feet to be
less sensitive to heat, cold, pressure or pain. When this happens it is
easy to injure your feet without knowing it.
How can I take care of my feet?
The most important thing is to really look at your feet every day. By
carefully checking your feet every day you can identify any problems early.
You may find it helpful to use a mirror to see the bottom of your feet.
Also every time you see your doctor for a diabetes check, take your shoes and
socks off so they will check also.
What should I look for when I check my feet?
Look at your feet after you shower or bathe. Look at the bottom,
between your toes and on the top of your feet and toes. It may help to use
a mirror or even ask a family member to check your feet for you.
The bottom of your big toes and the soles of your feet get the most wear and
tear from walking. Check for corns, calluses, redness or blisters.
These can be signs that your shoes are rubbing of do not fit well. You
might need to change styles or wear different shoes.
Look between the toes for cracks, peeling skin, blisters or color change.
Breaks in the skin can lead to infection. It is possible to have problems
between the toes without feeling it.
Next check the top of the toes and feet for any redness, calluses or color
change. Check for ingrowing toenails. Also check around the heel for
dry cracked skin.
How do I take care of the skin on my feet?
Use a mild soap and warm water to wash your feet. Check the water
temperature with your arm or wrist to be sure you don't burn your feet.
Pat your feet dry with a soft towel, and be sure to dry between your toes too.
If the skin on your feet is dry, rub on a lotion. Try not to put the
lotion between your toes, that can keep that area too wet. If your feet
sweat a lot a little talcum powder may help.
If you have corns or calluses, rub them lightly with a pumice stone every
day. Avoid medicated corn removers and do not cut the corns with a knife
or razor blade. This can become infected. A non-medicated corn pad
may help.
How should I cut my toenails?
Cut the toenails so they are even with the tips of your toes, and follow the
shape of the toe. File off any rough spots. Try not to cut them so
short that the ends dig into the skin. Avoid using anything sharp to dig
under the nail. Your nails will be a little soft and easiest to cut right
after a bath. Be sure to have good light when you work on your feet.
If you have poor vision or are not able to cut your toenails safely, you may
want to see a podiatrist for help.
Are there special shoes or socks for people with diabetes?
Yes, but usually there is no need for special socks or shoes. Buy shoes
that support, protect and cover your feet. Avoid going barefoot or wearing
open toed shoes. Pick the best pair of shoes based on the days activities.
Change your shoes once a day, for example when you get home from work.
Shoes and socks that fit well will protect your feet best. Buy new
shoes carefully. Select them by fit and not size. Try both shoes on
before you buy. Choose shoes that have enough room in the toes to allow
your toes to wiggle some. Break in your new shoes slowly. Wear them
for ony 1 or 2 hours a day at first. Watch for areas of redness which can
lead to a blister.
Shake out your shoes, and check inside them with your hand before you put
them on. Be sure there is nothing inside the shoe that could harm your
foot.
Wearing socks with your shoes will help protect your feet. Cotton or
wool socks will help your feet breathe. Tight elastic tops on hose or
garters can cause less blood flow to the feet. If your feet are cold use
socks to warm them and not heating pads or hot water bottles. These can
burn your feet without your knowing it.
What should I do if I hurt my foot?
If you bump or hit your foot, check for signs of injury. If your feet
hurt, rest them as much as you can. Use mild soap and warm water to clean
any cuts or scrapes. If you need a bandage, use sterile gauze pads or a
Band-Aid type strip. (Be aware that this can cause extra pressure when you
wear shoes.) Check the area every day to see that it is healing and not
getting infected.
Are people with diabetes more likely to have infections?
Everyone can have an infection from time to time. People with diabetes
are less able to fight infections. High blood sugar can 'feed' the
infection and can make it harder for your body to fight the infection. A
small infection can spread faster and become more severe in a person with
diabetes.
How will I know if I have a skin infection?
One sign of infection can be if your blood sugar starts to rise for no other
apparent reason. Other signs may be
- redness of skin
- swelling
- pain or tenderness
- discharge.
Are there other infections to watch for?
Yes, bladder or urine infections and vaginal infections.
What are the symptoms of a bladder infection?
Urine infections are fairly common, but they can become serious. Signs
and symptoms of a urine infection include
- needing to urinate more frequently
- pain or burning when you pass urine
- feeling like you need to urinate and not being able to
- cloudy urine
- blood in urine
Call your doctor if you have any sign of a urine infection.
How can I try to prevent bladder infections?
Try to empty your bladder about every 2-4 hours, don't hold it for long
periods. This will help wash away germs. Drink enough water every
day.
What about vaginal infections
Women with diabetes are more likely to have vaginal infections. This
can happen even without sexual activity. They happen because the high
sugar levels provide a good place for bacteria and yeast to grow.
Signs of vaginal infection will include itching, burning and a bad smelling
discharge. There are some non-prescription treatments for some vaginal
infections If this does not help, you will need to see the doctor for a
prescription.
What else can I do to keep myself healthy?
- Take care of your emotional health.
- Get into a regular routine for sleep, exercise and relaxation.
- See your doctor once a year for a complete physical, preventive health
exam. This should be different than one of your diabetes care or illness
visits.
- See your dentist twice a year.
- Get a flu shot every year.
- See your eye doctor (Ophthalmologist) for a diabetic eye exam every
year.
- Check for developing diabetes complications every year.