Ask The Experts

Is Epsom salt safe to use for soaking the feet of a diabetic person?

Thank you for contacting IPFH. We do not diagnose or provide medical advice on line. Your best course of action would be to consult the person’s primary care physician or a foot health professional. He or she can advise you on using soaks on the feet of people with diabetes. That said, many doctors recommend being very conservative and not allowing any type of foot soaks for people with diabetes. Epsom salts may dry out the feet, and that can be a problem since dry skin can crack and small sores can occur as a result. This is especially dangerous for people with diabetes, and particularly if there is any loss of protective sensation in the feet (neuropathy). And it is critical NEVER to soak the feet of people with diabetes in hot water, since if they have loss of protective sensation, incurring burns is a real danger. When it comes to foot soaks for people with diabetes, the answer is, generally, to avoid them, and if the person wants to use foot soaks, it then becomes a matter of consulting a physician or foot health professional, and following their advice. We hope this makes sense to you, and that the person of whom you speak will also find these suggestions helpful.

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