How Can I Get My Doctor to Help Me Take Care of My Feet?

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• Tell your doctor right away about any foot problems.
• Ask your doctor to look at your feet at each diabetes checkup. To make sure your doctor checks your feet, take off your shoes and socks before your doctor comes into the room.
• Ask your doctor to check how well the nerves in your feet sense feeling.
• Ask your doctor to check how well blood is flowing to your legs and feet.
• Ask your doctor to show you the best way to trim your toenails. Ask what lotion or cream to use on your legs and feet.
• If you cannot cut your toenails or you have a foot problem, ask your doctor to send you to a foot doctor. A doctor who cares for feet is called a podiatrist.

This list of tips was developed by the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. To order publications from the clearinghouse, including the booklet "Prevent Diabetes Problems: Keep Your Feet and Skin Healthy," log on to www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov.

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