From checking blood sugar frequently, eating a healthy diet, going to doctor’s appointments and staying active, there is a lot that diabetic patients have to strike off from their daily to-do lists. All this might make them forget their feet until one day when they ache severely.
Foot problems and diabetes have been friends for ages. If you have diabetes, foot problems will come your way. Therefore, you should take extra care of your feet if you want to walk with confidence, even in your 80s.
Two most common foot problem
Diabetic neuropathy
Patients with uncontrolled diabetes are more prone to nerve damage, which can cause numbness in their feet. Diabetes neuropathy is a serious diabetes complication, and as many as 50% of the people with diabetes suffer from it. In this condition, the patients’ feet become so insensitive that they are unaware of any soreness, irritation, or infection in their feet.
Because patients suffering from diabetes don’t receive any tangible signal of infection on their feet, their infections can escalate into gangrene (the death of a tissue due to lack of blood supply) or ulcers; and patients with gangrene often require amputation.
The symptoms of diabetic neuropathy depend on the affected nerves and can range from pain and numbness in the legs and feet to issues with the digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels, and heart.
Though the causes of diabetic neuropathy are unknown, it is believed that uncontrolled high blood sugar damages nerves and hampers their ability to send signals. This leads to nerve damage, thereby insensitivity.
Prevention
- Blood sugar management is crucial for preventing diabetic neuropathy. Doctors recommend that diabetic patients should have an A1C test at least twice a year. This test is conducted to check the average blood sugar level for the past 2-3 months.
- A thorough and frequent foot examination is another must-do to prevent the development of foot problems like foot ulcers and gangrene. Good foot care habits include checking feet every day, keeping them clean, moisturizing them, trimming toenails carefully, and wearing cushioned and well-fitted shoes.
Peripheral vascular disease (PVD)
Peripheral vascular disease is a blood circulation disorder wherein the fatty deposits block blood vessels beyond the heart and brain, resulting in low blood circulation. The arteries of people suffering from PVD are hardened, and this condition is known as arteriosclerosis. Eventually, plaque builds up in a vessel and limits the flow of blood and oxygen to various parts of the body.
If the plague growth progresses, clots develop and block the arteries entirely. If left untreated, this leads to organ damage and loss of fingers, toes, and limbs. Due to the insufficient blood supply, wounds take longer to heal in people who have diabetes. Again, as the infection does not heal faster, it often leads to ulcers and gangrene.
PVD can be divided into two categories: functional PVD and organic PVD. In functional PVD, there is no damage to the blood vessels’ structures, but they widen and narrow in response to other factors like brain signals and temperature changes. On the other hand, the blood vessels undergo certain changes like inflammation, plaque, and tissue damage in organic PVD.
Prevention
- Avoid smoking
- Control your blood sugar
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain lower cholesterol and blood pressure
- Eat a healthy diet with lower saturated fats
- Maintain a healthy weight
Visit FootDocStore for diabetic solutions
FootDocStore.com is our online store dedicated to enhancing foot health. If diabetes has made you susceptible to many foot problems, we have the solutions to treat those problems. Our products include podiatrist-approved pain-relieving gels, foot creams, compression support socks, and wound care gels.
For more questions or concerns, you can call us at 1-631-277-8900, leave us a mail at info@footdocstore.com or fill out a simple online form. One of our representatives will get in touch with you shortly!