6. Check your feet every day
Foot care may sound small, but it matters a lot. With diabetes, nerve damage is common, and some people lose feeling in their feet, which means small cuts or sores can go unnoticed. Most people can prevent serious foot complications with regular home care and medical visits. Checking your feet daily, washing them, drying them well, and wearing shoes and socks are sensible basics.
Do not ignore cuts, blisters, redness, swelling, color changes, pain, or loss of feeling. NIDDK says foot problems should be checked right away, and experts also advise never going barefoot, even at home. Small issues are much easier to treat before they turn serious.
Daily foot checks do not need to take long. A quick look each evening can be enough to notice something new or unusual. When you make it part of your regular routine, it becomes easier to stay ahead of small issues before they become harder to treat.