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WFOMO t1_j2c8lu8 wrote

It's not. I spent the entirety of my youth being barefoot at every opportunity... all summer long, every summer. Never had any problems. Still go barefoot whenever possible and have fewer foot problems than when I wear shoes.

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Nice_Sun_7018 t1_j2cs15x wrote

Wound care nurse here. People who routinely go barefoot, especially outside, put themselves at a much higher risk of developing a limb-threatening infection. This especially applies if they’re diabetic or a smoker, but you don’t have to be either of those to pick up a nasty bug that creates an abscess. If the infection reaches bone, the simple fact that your foot is the furthest place from your heart (affecting circulation) means you may not even heal it after a prolonged course of IV antibiotics. If that happens, the next step is generally amputation.

Keep your feet clean, wear shoes, moisturize. And for the love of Pete, ALWAYS wear shoes if you’re diabetic, even house shoes indoors, and inspect your skin daily. Try not to listen to “well I’ve never had anything happen to me personally, so it’s fine” advice you read from randoms on the internet.

(P.S. If your shoes are causing problems, then they very likely don’t fit properly or have a poor design.)

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ShadowV97 t1_j2e30l3 wrote

Do diabetics need to wear shoes in the house just to prevent all the things you mentioned? Or is there more to it then just that?

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MyFavDinoIsDrinker t1_j2e6yy7 wrote

That's pretty much it. The big thing about diabetes and feet is that it makes it so any wounds you do get on your feet are much harder to heal, so the most simple preventative measure is to just try not to get wounds on your feet.

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Nice_Sun_7018 t1_j2f1wad wrote

Yes. I would add too that many diabetics have neuropathy, so something small will lodge itself into their skin and they literally cannot feel it the way “normal” people can.

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nstickels t1_j2efy72 wrote

You realize this is like saying “I’ve never been murdered, so murder doesn’t exist!!”

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