Foot care is particularly important when you have diabetes because changes in sensation and blood flow can make foot problems easier to miss and harder to heal.
Good diabetic foot care is not simply about buying specialist products. It includes regular professional foot checks, looking at your feet yourself, wearing suitable footwear and getting new problems assessed promptly.
How can diabetes affect the feet?
Reduced sensation
Nerve damage can cause numbness, tingling or reduced feeling, so rubbing, cuts or pressure may be less noticeable.
Reduced blood flow
Circulation problems can affect healing and increase the importance of preventing skin damage.
Pressure and deformity
Changes in foot shape, callus or pressure distribution can increase the risk of skin breakdown in some people.
Infection risk
Small wounds can become more serious if they are not noticed or treated promptly.
Why are regular foot checks important?
NICE recommends regular diabetic foot assessment because risk varies between people. A healthcare professional may check sensation, circulation, skin condition, callus, deformity and other risk factors.
Your individual risk level affects how often specialist follow-up may be needed.
Why should you look at your feet yourself?
A daily visual check can help you notice changes such as redness, swelling, cuts, blisters, broken skin or areas where footwear has rubbed.
This is especially important if sensation is reduced and a problem may not feel painful.
Why does footwear matter?
Shoes that are too tight, too loose or have internal seams or foreign objects can create pressure and friction. Appropriate footwear should provide enough width and depth without allowing the foot to slide excessively.
People who have been told they are at moderate or high risk may need footwear and orthoses assessed by a specialist foot protection service rather than selecting products independently.
What is diabetic foot risk?
NICE classifies diabetic foot risk using factors such as neuropathy, circulation problems, deformity, callus, previous ulceration and previous amputation.
This is why advice that is suitable for someone at low risk may not be appropriate for someone with neuropathy, previous ulceration or significant vascular disease.
Important: If you have an ulcer, infection, gangrene, a hot swollen foot with colour change, or another new active diabetic foot problem, do not rely on footwear or over-the-counter products. Seek prompt professional assessment.
When should you seek professional advice?
Seek prompt advice for new wounds, blisters, ulceration, increasing redness, swelling, heat, discharge, colour change or unexplained changes in the foot.
If a problem appears severe, you feel unwell, there are signs of spreading infection, or the foot becomes black or markedly discoloured, seek urgent medical help.
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