Take care of your feet

With the expectation of warmer weather on the way, many of us will be going for walks and working in the garden.

People with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes are no exception to this but they do need to take a little more care, especially of their feet.

Unfortunately, we have found that some people with diabetes are not aware that they need to take the extra care of their feet.

Around 130 diabetesrelated amputations take place every week in this country alone, mainly as a result of foot ulcers but 80% of these are avoidable with proper foot care.

So, people with diabetes should have their feet checked at least annually by a trained healthcare professional and should also be taught how to look after their feet themselves.

To try to reduce the risks of foot damage and amputations, the InDependent Diabetes Trust (IDDT) has published a free booklet called ‘Diabetes – Looking After Your Feet’.

This is designed to help people to look after their feet by knowing what to look for and when to seek treatment to keep their feet healthy and avoid foot ulcers.

If foot ulcers are left untreated they can eventually lead to amputation, which drastically changes a person’s quality of life.

A more active life in spring and summer can also mean a change in eating habits, so our booklet, ‘Diabetes – Everyday Eating’, which contains 28 days of menus of everyday, affordable meals, and much more, is also useful to help people manage their diabetes.

All our booklets are free, so we hope you will let your readers know that we can help.

You can obtain a copy of ‘Diabetes – Looking After Your Feet’ and ‘Diabetes – Everyday Eating’ by contacting IDDT: telephone 01604 622837 or email: jenny@iddtinternational.org