If you have lived with diabetes for ten years or more, your feet have probably stopped telling you the whole truth. Long-standing high blood sugars damage the small nerves of the feet, often so gradually that you don't notice. A patient walks in with a deep wound on the sole and says, completely truthfully, "Doctor, I don't know when this started. It didn't hurt." That is the diabetic foot problem in one sentence.
We bring this up with every diabetic patient who walks into our clinic, whatever they came in for. The single habit on this page — a five-minute daily foot check — does more to prevent serious diabetic foot complications than any drug we can prescribe. It is free, simple, and almost no one does it consistently. Today is a good day to start.
Why diabetic feet are different
Three changes happen in feet with long-standing or poorly-controlled diabetes:
- Reduced sensation (peripheral neuropathy). The protective sense of pain that warns you about a stone in your sandal or a tight strap is dulled. You can step on something sharp and not feel it.
- Reduced blood flow. The smaller arteries that supply the feet narrow over time, meaning injuries heal more slowly and infection-fighting cells arrive in smaller numbers.
- Higher infection risk. High glucose levels in tissue create an environment bacteria love. A small wound can become a serious infection within days.
None of this is inevitable. Strict blood sugar control, regular movement, and proper foot care delay or prevent all three. But the catch is that by the time someone feels the consequence, it is usually well underway. The protective behaviour — the daily check — has to come before the warning signs.
Your 5-minute daily foot check
Once a day, ideally at the same time — many of our patients do it after their evening bath. Sit comfortably in good light. Have a small mirror or use your phone camera for the soles. Then:
- Look at the top, sides and between toes of each foot. Look for anything new compared with yesterday — a small cut, a blister, a callus, a red spot, a crack in dry skin.
- Look at the soles. Use a mirror placed flat on the ground, or open your phone camera in selfie mode and lift your foot to it. Soles are where many ulcers begin unnoticed.
- Compare temperature. Touch both feet with the back of your hand. Both should feel similarly warm. One foot noticeably warmer than the other can signal early infection.
- Press on the soles gently. Note any new tender spots or hard areas. Calluses that are getting thicker are pressure points that may become ulcers.
- Note and act. Treat any small clean cut with antiseptic and a clean bandage. Photograph anything unusual on your phone (this gives you a baseline to compare against tomorrow).
Five minutes. Done. The day-1 version is slow. By day 30 it takes 2 minutes.
The seven things to look for
- Cuts and grazes — usually picked up walking barefoot or from ill-fitting footwear.
- Blisters — often from new shoes, long walks or socks that bunch up.
- Redness — particularly around joints, the heels, or the sides of the toes. Could indicate early pressure injury or infection.
- Cracks in the skin — especially on the heels in summer. Dry cracks are a doorway for bacteria.
- Calluses or corns — thickened skin from repeated pressure. Don't shave them yourself; come in.
- Discoloured toenails or ingrown nails — fungal nails or nails pressing into the skin can cause serious infections in diabetics.
- A wound that isn't healing — anything that hasn't closed within 7 to 10 days needs a clinical look.
Footwear — the unglamorous game-changer
Most of the diabetic foot wounds we treat at Sompura Basappa Hospital trace back to footwear. Loose chappals that allow stones in. Tight straps that rub on bone. Going barefoot indoors and stepping on something sharp. A few practical rules our patients find easy to follow:
- Wear closed footwear indoors and outdoors, even in your own house. Soft rubber slippers are not enough.
- Shake out shoes before wearing — stones, pen tops, hairpins find their way in.
- Buy shoes in the evening, when feet are slightly more swollen. Get the right fit.
- Avoid tight straps, narrow toe boxes, hard heels. Soft, wide, cushioned wins.
- Change socks daily. Cotton or moisture-wicking. Avoid tight elastic at the top.
- If your feet have started to lose shape due to long-standing diabetes (Charcot foot), get custom-moulded footwear. We can guide you.
Bath-time care
A few small additions to your daily wash dramatically reduce diabetic foot problems:
- Wash feet daily in lukewarm water (test with elbow first, not toes — your toes might not feel hot water properly).
- Dry thoroughly, especially between toes. Trapped moisture grows fungus.
- Apply a light moisturiser to the tops and bottoms — but not between the toes.
- Trim toenails straight across, not curved at the corners. If your eyesight or flexibility makes this hard, ask a family member or come in for a podiatric trim.
When to call us — the same-day rules
Call +91 94480 70571 the same day if you see:
- A new cut, blister or wound that you didn't know about until your check.
- Any redness spreading on the foot.
- A wound that has pus, discharge or smell.
- A wound that hasn't healed in 7 days.
- A foot that is noticeably warmer or more swollen than the other.
- Any black or grey patch on the skin.
- A fever with foot symptoms.
For continuing care, our post-operative and wound care services include structured diabetic foot management — wound dressings, offloading, infection control and, where needed, minor surgical care. If you've never had a diabetic foot consultation, getting a baseline assessment is a good 30-minute investment of your time.
What good blood sugar control does for your feet
Tighter glucose control doesn't just protect your kidneys, eyes and heart — it directly improves your feet's ability to heal. Some specifics worth knowing:
- HbA1c below 7% (where safely achievable) substantially reduces the risk of new neuropathy.
- Stopping smoking improves blood flow within weeks. The single biggest reversible factor for the feet.
- Daily walks of 20 to 30 minutes improve small-vessel circulation.
- Treating high cholesterol and blood pressure protects the same small arteries.
If your diabetes management feels overwhelming, our Holistic Health team works with patients and families to build sustainable, India-friendly daily routines. No rigid plans nobody can stick to.
Frequently asked questions
Why don't I feel pain when I have a wound?
Long-standing diabetes damages the small nerves that carry pain signals from the feet. The wound is real; the alarm is faulty.
Can a diabetic foot wound be treated?
Yes — most heal completely with timely care. Treatment includes dressings, blood sugar control, offloading and antibiotics when infected.
What if I have already had a diabetic foot infection in the past?
You are at higher risk of another one. Daily checks, structured footwear and a 6-monthly foot clinic review become especially important.
Do I need special diabetic socks?
Not necessarily. Soft cotton or moisture-wicking socks without tight elastic work well. "Diabetic socks" can help in selected cases.
Final word
The diabetic foot problem is one of the cruelest in medicine because so much of it is preventable. The number of amputations we still see — many of which began as a small cut three weeks ago — is unacceptable when a five-minute daily habit could have changed the outcome. If you, or someone you love, has diabetes, please start the daily check tonight. And come in for a baseline foot assessment within the next month. The five minutes you spend tomorrow morning may be the most important five minutes of your year.