How to Perform a Daily Diabetic Foot Self-Exam (Patient How-To)
patienteducation
A step-by-step daily foot check for people with diabetes — what to look for, when to call your clinician, and how to catch a silent wound early.
For patients with diabetes, a two-minute daily foot check is the single most effective habit for staying in the preventable 85% — the share of diabetes-related amputations that early detection can avoid. Nerve damage means an injury can start without pain, so your eyes and hands have to do the work your nerves cannot.
What you need
- Good lighting
- A hand mirror (or a phone camera) to see the soles and between toes
- Clean, dry hands
- A caregiver's help if you cannot reach or see your feet
The 6-step daily foot check
- Wash and dry. Use lukewarm water, then dry thoroughly — especially between the toes.
- Look at the tops and sides. Scan for redness, blisters, cuts, cracks, or swelling.
- Check the soles. Use a mirror or phone camera. Look for calluses, punctures, or dark spots.
- Inspect between the toes. Watch for softening skin, cracks, or fungal patches.
- Feel for temperature differences. A warm spot on one foot but not the other can signal early inflammation or infection.
- Check your shoes before wearing them. Feel inside for pebbles, rough seams, or worn linings.
When to call your clinician the same day
- Any new open sore, blister, or puncture
- Redness, warmth, swelling, or drainage
- A callus that has darkened or started to bleed underneath
- New numbness, tingling, or a change in the shape of your foot
Why this matters
A new diabetic foot ulcer appears every 1.2 seconds worldwide, and one limb is lost every 20 seconds. Most of those wounds started as something small and silent. Daily checks close that gap.
Clinicians supporting high-risk patients can layer structured diabetic foot care and continuous healing analytics on top of home self-exams to catch changes between visits.