Why Diabetic Footwear Protects Your Feet and Your Health?

Not all shoes are created alike. Some are designed for helping you run for longer distances, which can improve your health, but others are designed to help you with a medical condition, like diabetes. Diabetes footwear is not only innovative, but also a necessary part of a diabetes care regimen. These are some of the most commonly asked questions about diabetic footwear choices.

How Does Diabetic Footwear Protect the Foot?

There are several ways that diabetic shoes and boots can help you protect your feet:

Improve circulation – Since diabetes can cause poor circulation, these shoes can aid in improving blood flow, which will reduce the chances of numbness and loss of feeling. Reduce stress at certain points – The tops of the toes, the ball of the foot and other areas are particularly vulnerable to stress as you walk. The shoes then help to prevent scrapes and blisters from forming at these areas.

Protect the foot from injury – Since your foot moves through obstacles in the world all throughout the day, these types of footwear can help protect the skin from everyday cuts and scratches which can turn more serious for those with diabetes. Allow the foot to breathe – Heat and moisture that build up in the foot can increase the chances of blistering, so by allowing the foot to breathe, the wearer can not only be more comfortable, but you can lessen your chances of problems.

Are There Stylish Kinds of Diabetic Shoes?

Many people are concerned that diabetic footwear is not very stylish, but this is far from the truth. You can find a number of styles, ranging from typical athletic shoes to boots. With the even growing population of diabetics, you will find that more styles and colors are available than there ever have been before. Men and women can find styles that will suit a number of situations, and no one will be the wiser.

What Can Happen If I Don't Protect My Feet? You may not realize just how important diabetic foot care is for your health. In a typical person, a small blister simply shows up on the foot, they feel pain and they treat it or they let it heal on its own. But in a diabetic patient, this isn't the way it works. Since you can't necessarily feel the pain, you might end up causing the blister to open up and become infected. Without regular foot inspections, that infection could then turn into gangrene and other serious conditions, some even resulting in a need for amputation. While this sounds scary and perhaps rare, this is not the case. Many people don't stop to take the time to check their feet for troubles. With the slower healing time of diabetics, you can't afford to not check for sores and blisters each time you take your shoes off. Wearing diabetic footwear is a good step as it will help you reduce the possibility of these kinds of issues, but the rest of your foot care is up to you.