Hygiene

Your teeth, skin, and feet need special attention every day. Caring for them properly plays a big part in staying healthy and at your best for a lifetime.

Teeth

Keeping your blood sugar in your target range and following these oral care tips every day can help prevent periodontal disease:

• Use a soft-bristle toothbrush, because medium- or hard-bristle brushes can tear gum tissue.
• Brush twice a day.
• Floss daily to clean between teeth.
• Replace your toothbrush at least every 3 months.

Skin

You can do several things to avoid skin problems. Try these tips:

• Take warm baths and showers, because hot ones dry out your skin.
• Use mild shampoos and moisturizing soaps that are unscented.
• Use an oil-in-water skin cream after bathing or showering.
• Keep your home more humid and bathe less during cold, dry weather.
• Prevent dry skin by not scratching when itchy and by moisturizing, especially in cold or windy weather.
• Use talcum powder or cornstarch in folds and places where skin touches skin, such as the armpits and groin.
• Take care of cuts right away by washing minor ones with soap and water. Avoid using alcohol, Mercurochrome antiseptic or iodine. Only use an antibiotic cream or ointment recommended by your doctor. Cover the cut with sterile gauze. See a doctor right away if you get a major cut, burn or infection.
• Avoid feminine hygiene sprays.
• See a dermatologist (skin doctor) if you cannot solve your skin problems.

Feet

There are some simple steps you can take to avoid injury and reduce the risk of damage to your feet. Spending some time caring for your feet on a regular basis feels so good and can help keep them healthy.

Inspecting Your Feet Daily
Look at the tops and bottoms of your feet and between each of your toes. If you have difficulty bending, use a mirror to check the bottoms or have someone help you. Look at your feet in a place with good lighting. A good time to look at your feet is after you take a bath or shower.

Look for cuts, scratches, blisters, calluses, corns, ingrown toenails, or signs of infection. Also look for white, moist, wrinkly skin, especially between the toes.

Feel for Increased Heat in the Skin
Hot spots may mean an underlying infection or inflammation. If you have nerve damage in your feet, there may be little or no pain to alert you to these problems. See your healthcare professional right away with any concerns.

Keep Your Feet Clean
Wash them daily with a soft washcloth and mild soap in warm water. To avoid burning your feet, remember to check the water temperature with your wrist or elbow to ensure that the water is not too hot. Avoid soaking your feet in water or other solutions as this can cause your skin to dry out.

Dry Your Feet
Use a soft towel to completely dry your feet, remembering to dry between each and every one of your toes.

Apply Lotion
Use a mild lotion, such as Dermal Therapy by Bayer, on the tops and bottoms of your feet after every wash.

Corns and Calluses
Feet develop corns and calluses as a way of protecting your skin against pressure or friction caused by ill-fitting shoes or an improper gait. An improper gait can become even worse once calluses or corns develop. Get rid of corns and calluses by reducing the pressure on your feet. This may involve getting proper, well-fitting footwear and perhaps using special insoles in your shoes. The insoles will help spread out your body weight evenly over the sole of your foot. See a podiatrist as needed.

Take Care of Mild Callus Build Up
When your foot is dry, gently file away any callused area with a pumice stone. Afterwards, apply lotion to all callused areas to keep the callus flexible and prevent cracking. Never cut your corns or calluses with a razor blade. If you have thick calluses, you should ask your healthcare professional how to treat and prevent them.

Keep Your Toenails Properly Trimmed and Smooth
Use blunt scissors to cut the nail straight across and then file the corners round with an emery board. Avoid cutting the nails too short. The best time to cut your nails is after bathing when they are soft and easy to trim. If you have any problem reaching your nails easily or if your nails are thick and more difficult to cut, seek help from a healthcare professional trained to manage nails, such as a podiatrist. And, if you have an ingrown toenail, don’t treat it yourself, see your doctor or podiatrist.

Wear Clean Socks Every Day
A sock that has at least 80% cotton or wool helps absorb sweat and lets the skin breathe. Avoid nylon in socks or stockings. Socks should fit well and have no tight elastic, especially at the top. Avoid socks with bulky seams. Go to the doctor for an ingrown toenail rather than trying to treat it yourself.

Wear Proper Shoes
It is best to wear shoes and socks in the house and outside every day to protect and support your feet. Before you put on your shoes, always shake them out and then carefully feel inside for stones or rough spots that might hurt your feet.

Shop for shoes when your feet are largest. Shopping for shoes in the afternoon is better than early morning. Avoid shoes that are too tight or pinch. If you are shopping for new shoes and you have numb feet, cut out an outline of each foot from stiff paper, and insert the outline into the pair of shoes you are thinking of buying to help you determine if they fit. Break new shoes in by wearing them a maximum of 1 to 2 hours a day. After wearing new shoes, carefully inspect your feet and look for rubbed, red spots that might indicate a problem area.

Blisters, Cuts, and Scratches
Treat blisters, cuts, and scratches right away. Avoid the use of strong chemicals, such as boric acid, hydrogen peroxide or any antiseptic. They can actually damage healing tissue. Do not open blisters yourself as it can lead to infections. Simply clean the wound with soap and water, and call your healthcare professional regarding further treatment. Cover all open injuries with a sterile dressing. Call your doctor if there is any sign of heat, redness, swelling, pus or pain in or around an open sore.

Professional Care
Your feet need regular attention. Make sure that your doctor or diabetes educator checks your feet during your regular visits. Get help from a healthcare professional at the first sign of a problem. Podiatrists and chiropodists are healthcare professionals who specialize in the care and treatment of your feet. These specialists can treat your foot problems, or fit you with special shoes or inserts if you need them.

For more information about complications, please see The Managing and Preventing Complications section in About Diabetes.