Diabetes can affect many areas of your body, including your legs and feet. Unfortunately, diabetic foot ulcers are a common and unpleasant complication. However, taking a few precautions and keeping your blood sugar under control can help you avoid the foot and leg complications associated with diabetes.
What You Need to Know About Diabetic Foot Care
Diabetes can affect the nerves and blood vessels of the feet and legs. Because of this damage, you may not feel an injury when it happens.
Poor circulation can lead to swelling, which means that a wound cannot heal as quickly. When this happens, even minor damage to your feet or legs becomes a significant problem, and, in the worst-case scenario, you may lose a toe, foot, or even a leg because of an infection.
For this reason, doctors will recommend an annual foot exam to ensure that your feet and legs are healthy. To protect your feet from the effects of diabetes, you should also inspect your feet daily and take extra care to avoid injuries and infections.
You should also wear clean, dry socks and change them daily. In some cases, your doctor might also recommend compression socks to help you care for your feet as a diabetic patient.
What are Compression Socks?
When worn, compression socks put a little more pressure on the legs to decrease swelling and promote circulation. You can find compression socks in various lengths, colors, and sizes. There are generally two types of compression socks:
- Graduated Compression Socks: These are more popular, and you can find either knee-high or thigh-high compression socks. You can also choose the degree of compression that works best for your needs.
- Anti-Embolism Stockings: While these are technically stockings, many people put them in the ‘compression sock’ category. The purpose of anti-embolism stockings is to maintain circulations in the legs and prevent blood clots from forming.
Your doctor may recommend either compression socks or anti-embolism stockings.
How Do Compression Socks Help Diabetics?
If you’re wondering why people with diabetes might wear compression socks, it’s because compression socks are a great way to prevent foot injuries and to maintain circulation in the legs.
Diabetes can damage the blood vessels in your legs and decrease circulation, but compression socks or stockings can help counteract this. Likewise, compression socks also help protect your feet from injury.
How To Use Compression Socks
You can wear compression socks for just a few hours per day or all day long. Your doctor will recommend a specific amount of time, based on your needs.
The Importance of Sugar Control and Following Your Doctor’s Advice
Controlling your blood sugar is the best way to avoid diabetic complications. Ensure that you follow your doctor’s instructions about blood sugar monitoring and take your medications as directed.
Your doctor may also recommend a specific type of compression socks based on your situation. You should only wear compression socks when advised to do so by your healthcare provider, though.