How diabetics can protect their feet in summer

Around one in three diabetics is affected by neuropathy, which usually first becomes noticeable through sensory loss in the feet, such as tingling, burning, numbness or reduced sensitivity: contact, pain and temperatures are no longer perceived correctly, which can result in injuries that go unnoticed. The skin is often extra dry and cracked due to the fact the small nerve fibers that activate sweat glands are also damaged. This combination of factors increases the risk of the dreaded diabetic foot syndrome, which is particularly high in summer.

The risk of dreaded diabetic foot syndrome is particularly high in summer.

Summer tips for diabetics' feet

With these tips, at-risk feet can get through the summer safely:

• Do not walk barefoot: it's easy to injure yourself on sharp objects on the beach or in the grass, which can result in serious wounds that go unnoticed. Likewise, one can unknowingly suffer severe burns on hot sand or tiles.
• If you wear open-toe shoes like sandals, you should make sure that the straps don't cut into the skin of your feet and that small stones can't get into the shoe.

• When sunbathing, feet should be well protected from UV light. Because even a severe sunburn can go unnoticed and endanger sensitive feet.
• Feet should be inspected and cared for daily in both summer and winter. This includes creams that moisturize dry feet. If you do notice any foot injuries, waste no time and have them treated quickly by a doctor.
• Foot exercises counteracts muscle breakdown and thus also malposition. Tip: the website www.milgamma.de has a video with suitable exercises for your feet.

Stop nerve damage

In addition, it is important to stop the progression of nerve damage. The most important measure is to manage blood sugar levels as well as possible. Light summer meals based on the Mediterranean model of lots of fresh vegetables, salads, fish and olive oil can make a big impact in this regard. Exercise also helps lower blood sugar. It should also be noted that diabetes is often associated with a vitamin B1 deficiency, which promotes neuropathies; the need for the "nerve vitamin" increases because diabetics often excrete it through the kidneys to a greater extent than healthy individuals¹. The body can only absorb a limited amount of conventional vitamin B1. Therefore, the vitamin B1 preparation benfotiamine, which can be absorbed by the body five times better than plain vitamin B1², is recommended as a way to compensate for this nerve-damaging deficiency.

¹Thornalley PJ, Babaei-Jadidi R, Al Ali H et al. High prevalence of low plasma thiamine concentration in diabetes linked to a marker of vascular disease. Diabetologia 2007; 50: 2164-2170
²Schreeb K.H. et al. Comparative bioavailability of two vitamin B1 preparations: benfotiamine and thiamine mononitrate. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1997; 52:319-320

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