Nerve Damage and Daily Foot Care

Diabetes can damage nerves, most often in the feet. The danger is not the numbness itself — it is that you stop noticing injuries.

A stone in your chappal, a blister, a small cut, a burn from hot floor tiles: all of these hurt and get dealt with when your sensation is normal. With nerve damage they can go unnoticed for days, and an unnoticed wound on a foot with reduced blood supply can become a serious problem.

So look at your feet once a day. The whole thing takes half a minute — tops, soles, between the toes, and the heels. Use a mirror or ask someone if you cannot see the soles easily. You are looking for cuts, blisters, redness, swelling, colour changes or anything new.

Your care team should examine your feet at every visit. Ask for it if it is not offered.

Report anything that is not healing rather than waiting to see. Early attention to a small foot wound is straightforward; late attention is not. If you are exercising, there are extra precautions worth knowing.