Put your best feet forward
"If you're living with diabetes, you need really good foot care, including a yearly exam from a podiatrist," Kruger says. Diabetic foot ulcers can occur in approximately 15 percent of patients with diabetes, and 6 percent of those who develop a foot ulcer will be hospitalized due to infection or other ulcer-related complications, according to the American Podiatric Medical Association. People with diabetes may lose feeling in their feet, so if they do develop a blister from poor-fitting sores and they don't protect it, it can turn into something bigger. Don't go barefoot, and always keep feet protected to reduce the risk of cuts and scrapes, which can lead to complications, the APMA states.