Dealing with dry skin can be a challenge --- that's evident in the skin-care aisles crowded with creams, lotions, ointments and oils. But if your heels are so dry that they are sore and cracked, they need special attention. Especially if your problem stems from having diabetes, you'll need to make sure it does not lead to more serious complications.
Dry Skin
For many people, dry skin is a short-term problem. Skin tends to be driest during the low-humidity winter months, MayoClinic.com explains. The tight feeling and roughness you may experience also can be aggravated by heating and air conditioning, hot baths or showers, harsh soaps and exposure to the sun. Usually, you can relieve dry skin symptoms with measures like avoiding hot water and using creams, lotions and humidifiers.
Diabetics
If you have diabetes, you're at greater risk for skin problems in general and foot problems in particular. High glucose --- blood sugar --- makes your body lose fluids, according to the National Institutes of Health. Glucose can feed any infections that develop in dry, cracked skin. Also, nerve damage in feet and legs can reduce sweating, which normally helps keep your skin soft and moist, according to the NIH.
Foot Problems
Nerve damage from diabetes not only can cause skin trouble such as sore, cracked heels, but it can reduce sensation in your feet and make it harder for you to notice that problems are developing, the American Diabetes Association warns. Among the foot ailments diabetics should watch for are calluses, blisters, peeling and cracking skin, and foot ulcers, which are serious, deep sores.
Hazards
Foot sores or cracked skin that become infected can land a diabetic in the hospital, warns the National Institutes of Health. As glucose feeds the infection, poor circulation in your legs and feet can delay the healing process. A very serious infection may lead to gangrene, when skin turns black and smelly and the foot might have to be amputated.
Prevention & Treatment
Here's some advice on diabetes-related foot problems from the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Diabetes Association. Check your feet daily and wash them with lukewarm water and mild soap. Smooth on a cream or lanolin lotion, especially on the heels. Talk to your doctor about how to treat any cracks that develop. Don't wear sandals or go barefoot; wear roomy, padded socks and comfortable shoes. Avoid hot baths and showers. Don't scratch dry skin, which can promote infection. Do your best to keep your blood sugar under control, and don't smoke, which only makes symptoms worse.
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