Common Foot Care Myths You Need to Know About

When you have a diabetes diagnosis, you'll know that taking care of your feet is important. There are lots of myths surrounding diabetes foot care, which sometimes makes it difficult to establish an effective routine. By learning more about them, you can take better care of your feet and keep yourself safe.

Myth: Shoes Are a Cause of Bunions

If you wear poor-fitting shoes, you will likely make your bunion symptoms worse. They'll become more painful over time, which may lead you to believe that poor-fitting shoes are the cause. However, this doesn't mean that your shoes are at the root of the problem.

Whether you develop a bunion or not depends on the shape of your feet. This means they're hereditary, so you should take a look at your family's history of them. By being aware of your likelihood of developing bunions, you can look out for them. As they have an association with developing ulcers, you should prioritise diabetic podiatry care if you're at risk of developing one.

Myth: Cutting Your Own Ingrown Nails Is Safe

Another common myth is that cutting a notch into your ingrown toenail is an effective way of treating it. Some people also claim that doing so is safe.

Unfortunately, cutting a notch into your ingrown toenail does nothing to inhibit new nail growth. Your new nail will continue to grow inwards, which means you'll do nothing to address the problem. If you introduce an infection to the toe as a result of a cut, your diabetes diagnosis may make it more difficult to treat. Because of this, it's safer to use podiatry diabetes treatment services instead.

Myth: Foot Pain Comes With Age and You Can Ignore It

Realistically, no type of pain is normal and that includes foot pain. Pain is your body's way of telling you that something is wrong. When you ignore it, you're not heeding your body's warning signals that it's time to take action.

If you're starting to experience foot pain, you need to perform regular checks and visit a diabetes specialist. They'll look at the cause of the pain and make treatment recommendations that could help you avoid ulcers and more serious conditions.

By paying close attention to your diabetes foot care, you can prevent long-term problems such as chronic ulcers. Regularly visiting a diabetic podiatry care service is the best way to find an effective treatment plan that helps you stay healthier for longer.