HAPPY FEET!

Good Day my diabetic friends!
Even if your feet are not quite this pretty, you don't want to harm or even loose them by not taking care of them.
I am not posting any images of diabetic  feet, because we ant to stay positive and not scare anybody. Diabetic feet ARE scary though: ulcers, blue spots, open, infected wounds. JUST DO NOT GO THERE! and below are some tips to keep your feet your pride and joy:

WHAT DIABETES CAN DO TO YOUR FEET

Caring for Your Feet With Diabetes

When you have diabetes, taking good care of your feet is very important. Poor foot care can lead to serious problems, including possibly having to remove -- or amputate -- the foot or leg.

As a person with diabetes, you are more vulnerable to foot problems, because the disease can damage your nerves and reduce blood flow to your feet. The American Diabetes Association has estimated that one in five people with diabetes who seek hospital care do so for foot problems. By taking proper care of your feet, most serious problems can be prevented. It's important that your doctor check your feet at least once a year for any problems.

Here are some diabetes foot care tips to follow.

Wash and Dry Your Feet Daily

• Use mild soaps.
• Use warm water.
• Pat your skin dry; do not rub. Thoroughly dry your feet, especially between the toes.
• After washing, use lotion on your feet to prevent cracking. Do not put lotion between your toes.

Examine Your Feet Each Day

• Check the tops and bottoms of your feet. Have someone else look at your feet if you cannot see them.
• Check for dry, cracked skin.
• Look for blisters, cuts, scratches, or other sores.
• Check for redness, increased warmth, or tenderness when touching any area of your feet.
• Check for ingrown toenails, corns, and calluses.
• If you get a blister or sore from your shoes, do not "pop" it. Apply a bandage and wear a different pair of shoes.

Take Care of Your Toenails

• Cut toenails after bathing, when they are soft.
• Cut toenails straight across and smooth with an emery board.
• Avoid cutting into the corners of toes.
• You may want a podiatrist (foot doctor) to cut your toenails.

Be Careful When Exercising

• Walk and exercise in comfortable shoes.
• Do not exercise when you have open sores on your feet.

Protect Your Feet With Shoes and Socks

Footwear Test

Use this simple test to see if your shoes fit correctly:

• Stand on a piece of paper. (Make sure you are standing and not sitting, because your foot changes shape when you stand.)
• Trace the outline of your foot.
• Trace the outline of your shoe.
• Compare the tracings: Is the shoe too narrow? Is your foot crammed into the shoe? The shoe should be at least 1/2 inch longer than your longest toe and as wide as your foot.

GO WELL ON HAPPY FEET WILL TAKE ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING

Best regards from from pre-autumnal South Africa,

Barbara

Info partly compliments to WebMD

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Diabetes and psychology 2

Diabetes and Emotions

In this article

• Common Emotions in Diabetes
• Stress and Diabetes
• Depression and Diabetes
• Diabetes Support

Stress and Diabetes continued...

Talk to Someone

Don't keep everything bottled up inside. Though talking with a family member or close friend may help, there are counselors and clergy specially trained to provide support and insight.

Exercise

The benefits of exercise in reducing stress are well known. Exercise gives you a feeling of well-being and may relieve the symptoms of stress. 

Take Time to relax

Practice deep muscle relaxation, deep abdominal breathing,meditation, guided imagery, or visualization. Ask your health care provider for information and available programs in stress management.

For more detail, see WebMD's article Stress and Diabetes.

Depression and Diabetes

Depression affects about 15% to 30% of people with diabetes. While depression is a problem if left untreated, depression can also have a negative impact on diabetes self-management and blood sugar control and cause other complications. If you are feeling depressed, call your health care provider. There are proven steps you can take to feel better.

Is diabetes making me depressed?

High or low blood sugar can make you feel tired or anxious and affect your sleep. These symptoms may mimic depression. Occasionally hormones may be out of balance and can be corrected.  Talk with your health care provider about your symptoms and blood sugar levels.

Why are people with diabetes vulnerable to depression?

Depression is a complex disease that can result from a multitude of factors, including biology and emotional and environmental influences. It's normal to suffer from sadness every once and a while, but studies have shown that people with diabetes have a greater risk of developing depression than people without diabetes.

For people with diabetes, depression can develop as a result of the lifestyle adjustments they have to make to control their diabetes. Managing diabetes can be stressful and time-consuming and the dietary restrictions can make life seem less enjoyable.

What are the symptoms of depression?

There are some key signs and symptoms of depression, including:

• Sadness
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
• Withdrawal from social activities
• Inability to concentrate
• Insomnia (difficulty falling and staying asleep)
• Excessive feelings of guilt or worthlessness
• Loss of energy or fatigue
• Changes in appetite
• Observable mental and physical sluggishness
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Diabetes and Emotions

In this article

• Common Emotions in Diabetes
• Stress and Diabetes
• Depression and Diabetes
• Diabetes Support

Depression and Diabetes continued...

If you (or someone you love) show signs of depression for two or more weeks or it seems severe, inform your doctor and seek treatment. It's also important to know that the hormonal changes seen in someone with depression can cause worsening control of blood sugars.

How is depression treated in people with diabetes?

Depression in diabetes can be successfully treated with medication and/or talk therapy. Some people have trouble staying on theirantidepressant medications and discontinue them after several months because of side effects. Be sure to talk to your doctor about side effects, including how they might be affecting your blood sugars. If you are taking antidepressants and want to stop, talk to your doctor about the best way to slowly reduce the dose you are taking. It is important not to suddenly stop taking these prescribed medications.

For more detail, see WebMD's article Diabetes and Depression.

Diabetes Support

When your spouse has diabetes and isn't serious about managing the disease, it can cause the entire family to feel frustrated. It's important to understand some key ways to support a spouse with diabetes -- criticizing the person usually backfires. There are effective ways to create a healthy partnership with your spouse and give much-needed support without nagging.

Coping Strategies

Learning how to cope with the emotions that come with diabetes is a big step in staying healthy. Here are a few ideas:

• Find a doctor who takes your diabetes seriously and who listens to your concerns.
• Talk to friends about how diabetes has affected you.
• Find a support group for people with diabetes.
• Make an appointment with a professional therapist or counselor.
• Learn more about your illness. The more knowledge you have about diabetes, the more in control you will feel and the better you will be able to manage it effectively.

It's a long tedious journey, but the right approach CAN lead you to a happy life!

This was a serious couple of articles, but I hope you got a if not the message,

Sleep tight on it,

Greetings,

Barbara

Diabetes and Psychology

Dear friends

If you have diabetes, it is not only your body who has to deal with the effects, the mind is affected too. Most diabetics cannot explain to themselves why they feel "funny" on some days, and that in spite of the blood sugar level being controlled.
I looked for an article to try and explain this "phenomenon" to myself first, and found one in my infallible source of scientific medical information: WebMed.com
One can subscribe to their news letters and receive advice on almost any medical question one might have:

Diabetes and Emotions

In this article

• Common Emotions in Diabetes
• Stress and Diabetes
• Depression and Diabetes
• Diabetes Support

Being diagnosed with diabetes brings with it a full range of emotions. Most of the emotions you may feel such as anger, sadness, confusion, and distress are normal, and these emotions may lessen with time. Still, emotions, especially strong ones, are important indicators that something might be wrong and changes might need to be made.

There's no doubt that diabetes is mentally, emotionally, and physically challenging. If you've been diagnosed with diabetes, chances are that your doctor recommended some major lifestyle changes. Whereas you may have been used to eating anything you desired, now you have to focus on losing weight, eating a different diet, checking your blood sugar levels regularly, and even taking pills or injected medications. While these changes are necessary to manage your diabetes and to keep you well, they can still be frustrating and feel different. It is normal to have strong emotions while adjusting to a new life with diabetes.

Common Emotions in Diabetes

Denial and Diabetes

After learning that you have a chronic disease such as diabetes, feeling denial is normal. You may feel that "this can't be happening to me" or that "there has been a mistake" or you will "wait for more test results" even though a doctor has confirmed the diagnosis.

Denial is often a way to cope with an overwhelming situation. By temporarily denying your diabetes, you may be able to come to terms with it slowly rather than all at once. It is important to recognize that denial should only be a temporary stage, though. To remain healthy, you should be consistent with testing your blood sugar, taking your medications, if prescribed, seeing your doctor regularly, eating healthily, and getting plenty of physical exercise.

Confusion and Diabetes

As with any disease, managing diabetes can be difficult at times. You may have trouble keeping track of all the medical jargon and understanding exactly what steps your diabetes specialist told you to do. Modern health care systems can make this worse because you may be seeing several different doctors. Each doctor may have a different take on your diabetic regime

Over time, you will get more familiar with the diabetes, the medical terminology, and the questions to ask your doctors at the visits. Still, if you're feeling confused, you may find it helpful to write out a daily lifestyle plan to keep healthy. Your plan can include a schedule of times to take your medications, times to test your blood during the day, times to exercise, some healthy eating strategies, and more. After writing the plan, show this to your doctor to make sure the steps you are taking will keep you well.

Anger and Diabetes

Because diabetes affects many different aspects of your life, anger is a normal response to a diabetes diagnosis.

But feeling angry does not have to be destructive or negative. Instead, you can make your anger work for you. Try channeling your anger to accomplish something positive. You might use your anger to assert your health needs with your doctors. Or you can use your anger to energize yourself to do things that keep you healthy, like exercising more. You can also use the energy from your anger to manage your diabetes more effectively.

Stress and Diabetes

Stress management is especially important if you have diabetes, because stress can significantly affect your ability to control your disease. If you are under emotional stress, you may skip meals, stop exercising, or forget to take your medication. Stress by itself may increase hormones that make diabetes more difficult to control. Any one or all of these behaviors can affect your blood sugar level. By learning to better cope with stress, you can help keep your diabetes under control. Here are some tips:

Keep a Positive Attitude

It is easy to see the bad in life. But thinking about the good can help you through tough times.

Be Kind to Yourself

Don't expect more of yourself than you are able to give.

Accept What You Cannot Change

Try re-framing stressful situations. Ask yourself the following questions:

• "Will this be important two years from now?"
• "Do I have control over this situation?"
• "Can I change my situation?"

The next 2 paragraphs of this article will be on the very next post. See you there.