So whats the big fuss over Diabetics wearing shoes?

I am not one of those people who love the thought of wearing shoes all the time.  I am kind of down to earth and at heart a country girl.  I would rather be barefoot when I am home than anything else in this whole world.  That has all changed for me after being diagnosed with Diabetes.

Recently I have noticed these little skin spots on my feet that are causing me to wonder if I am not starting to have those foot issues that many of the Diabetics I know have had. I have been having little bits of skin tissue that is feeling much like a hang nail would on your fingers.  The thing is the other day in the middle of the night it kept catching on my blankets so I ripped it off without thinking maybe I should have cut it with my toenail clippers, anyway it started to hurt and so I noticed it looked a little red, I went to my medicine cabinet and I pulled out the peroxide, the tea tree oil and gave myself a good dose of both.  then I covered it with a breathable cloth bandage.  Lucky me It healed in just a couple of days, but the thought keeps crossing my mind that it could have been much worse for me.

As usual I began my research and began to gather information on Diabetic feet and the importance of the type of care they get.  I am sharing it with you and at the same time reminding you that there is so much information out there for us we just need to use it to care for ourselves better.

The problem for us as Diabetics is the nerve damage that is caused by having high blood glucose over a extended period of time.  The problem then becomes the fact that we often have less to no feeling in our feet.  If we were to cut ourselves or have some other injury, we might never ever know it because we would not be able to feel it.  This then is why we find it so important to do a self foot check ever day.

If we can not feel our sores or our injuries it could lead to infections that if not treated can cause us to get our feet and legs amputated.  Pressure sores often cause this issue, so that is why we need certain types of shoes to minimize those sore spots or pressure sores. It also helps us prevent injuries to our feet by wearing shoes. 

There are a few great websites and pages I am going to share with you regarding this subject and great plans to help us take care of our feet.

The site below is one of the best on educating us as Diabetics about our Disease and the Complications. 
Take Care of Your Feet for a Lifetime{National Diabetes Education Program}

This website is also good it is there with information that is from many different sources.
Your Guide to Diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2/The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse

With Diabetes it is important to know that certain types of shoes can create these pressure sores on us and also the materials that we have in our shoes is important.  We need shoes that breath, not plastic or rubber.  We need enough room that our toes can move around, we need shoes that are not pointed such as high heels which also puts much pressure on our toes.  Open toe shoes are dangerous because we leave are feet open for various injuries, sun burns etc.  If you do wear high heels make sure they are for short periods of time.

The best thing to do is talk to your doctor about the shoes and also look on line there are many shoe companies available to us even shoes like New Balance, and Dr. Comfort. Many more just type in Diabetic Shoes and hit your search button.

I am learning more and more each day as I blog and when things are happening to me.  I reach out so that I can also help others in our Diabetic Communities to stay informed and be as healthy as we can be.  Share all the information you have with others and take time to learn more about what Diabetes is.

If you have any questions or would like to be a guest blogger or even just want to connect with me contact me at:  diabetic.day2013@gmail.com or #DiabeticDay on twitter.