"Wearing Slippers is Risky"…Diabetes Patients Should Avoid Barefoot Exposure

Be Cautious of Diabetic Foot Disease Including Foot Ulcers
Continuous Observation and Care of Feet Are Important

Recently, as hot weather continues, more people are wearing slippers or sandals instead of sneakers. However, patients with diabetes who frequently expose their bare feet may suffer from diabetic foot disease, a complication of diabetes.

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According to the National Health Information Portal of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, diabetic foot disease is a general term for all problems that occur in diabetic patients and is also called "dangyobal" (diabetic foot).

One of these, foot ulcers, occur when the skin or mucous membrane tissue of the foot is eroded. It is known that about 15-25% of diabetic patients experience at least one foot ulcer in their lifetime. More than half of these cases also suffer from complications caused by infections. In cases accompanied by moderate or severe infections, about 20% undergo surgery to amputate part of the foot, which lowers the quality of life for diabetic patients.

However, experts say that since diabetic foot disease starts from very minor issues, it can be prevented simply by continuously observing and managing the feet.

To prevent diabetic foot disease, diabetic patients should first avoid walking barefoot and wear well-ventilated shoes that fit their feet properly. Professor Jung Changhee of the Department of Endocrinology at Seoul Asan Medical Center told Yonhap News, "Special caution is needed during summer when walking barefoot is easy," adding, "New summer shoes worn barefoot can also be dangerous for patients with diabetic foot."

In addition, diabetic foot can be prevented by ▲ wearing socks and sneakers rather than sandals or slippers ▲ avoiding exposing feet to extremely cold or hot places ▲ checking feet daily for wounds, calluses, corns, etc. ▲ washing feet cleanly every day and drying them well ▲ preventing feet from becoming dry or cracked ▲ checking inside shoes for foreign objects before wearing them.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.