Host Amber Smith: Here's some expert advice from Dr. Palma Shaw from Upstate Medical University. How can someone with diabetes protect their feet?
Palma Shaw, MD: Well, it's very important that patients with diabetes are informed about the potential changes that can occur in their feet. They may develop numbness in the foot and not understand that they actually can't feel if they step on something sharp.
So we usually advise diabetic patients to use shoes in the house. They really should never walk around with bare feet in the home. We've had patients come in with a nail in their foot that they couldn't even feel that can cause an infection. They also get dry skin, so they need to cream their feet, and they really should get evaluated by a podiatrist to look for deformities of their foot to see if they need special inserts for their shoes.
Host Amber Smith: You've been listening to vascular surgeon Dr. Palma Shaw from Upstate Medical University.
