6 ways to make your bathroom diabetes friendly

Yes, you can practice better diabetes management even in the bathroom! Decisions as minor as what kind of soap to use or how hot to run your bathwater really are important.

Wash your feet daily in water that's warm but not hot.

• Avoid liquid soaps; they are more likely to leave your skin dry, which can lead to cracking and leave you susceptible to infection.
• Also avoid exfoliating soaps, which can be too rough on your skin, and perfumed soaps, which cause skin reactions in some people.

Even though pumps are water resistant, they shouldn't be put directly in the water.

• Use the disconnect port meant for swimming, bathing and showering.
• Read the manufacturer's instructions or ask your doctor where to put the pump while you shower. For some pumps you can buy cases you can hang from a shower curtain hook.

• If you're going to have a relaxing spell in a hot tub, hot bath, sauna or Jacuzzi, stay no more than 20 minutes and make sure the temperature is no higher than 40°C (105°F). (Be sure to clear this indulgence with your doctor in advance.)

Excessively warm temperatures can aggravate cardiovascular problems, which are common among people with diabetes.

If you're using insulin, a hot soak can increase the rate at which the body absorbs it, throwing off the timing of your blood sugar control.

• When you enter hot water, don't use your foot to test the temperature — if you have nerve damage, you might not realize your skin is scalding. Instead, dip a hand or elbow into the water.

If you have diabetes, resist the temptation to use over-the-counter drugstore treatments on calluses and corns on your feet.

• When you have reduced feeling in your feet, it's easy for such treatments to damage your skin without you knowing it. The active ingredient in both the liquids you dab on and the pads you apply is an acid that can eat away not only your dead skin, but your healthy skin, too. The resulting wound from the acid could take a long time to heal.
• Don't use pumice or a file on your calluses and corns, either; the risk of injury is too great and such instruments aren't sterile.

Ask your doctor or podiatrist to treat your calluses and corns.

Use of drugstore treatments for ingrown toenails is also not recommended.

• As with callus and corn removers, these products work by eating away the skin with acid, which puts you at risk for infection. Go to your podiatrist to treat the ingrown toenail.

Athlete's foot is a fungal infection that people with diabetes can safely treat with drugstore products. Athlete's foot appears as red, itching or cracking skin between the toes and on the bottoms of your feet.

• Treat this immediately, since the cracked skin can get infected.
• Apply athlete's foot medicated cream twice a day. First, wash your feet with soap and water. Dry them thoroughly, then rub the cream onto the affected skin.

Call your foot care specialist if the athlete's foot doesn't clear up within five days.