People living with diabetes can develop serious problems with their feet. When someone with diabetes has problems with their feet, it can lead to severe issues if not taken care of.
Changes in the feet can occur because of diabetes. High blood sugar levels over time are the most common cause, and they can damage the nerves and blood vessels in the feet.
If high blood sugar is not consistently controlled, it can damage the nerves (called neuropathy) and reduce blood flow to the feet.
Also, cuts or sores can get infected easily because of poor blood flow and nerve damage and the ability to heal and fight infection is reduced. Smoking is a complicating factor because the nicotine in tobacco causes blood vessels to narrow and narrows the blood vessels and reduces blood flow even more!
Signs and Symptoms
- Numbness or tingling: You might not feel your feet as well. This can prevent you from noticing cuts or other damage to your feet and can affect your balance. If you have numbness, you should never walk barefoot, should check your feet at least once a day (including between the toes!) and should never put on footwear without looking inside to make sure that there is nothing inside that could injure you.
- Sores or ulcers: These are open wounds that don’t heal quickly and get infected more easily. For more information on managing wounds, visit Wounds Canada, a leading organization in wound care, at Wounds Canada.
- Changes in skin color: The skin on your feet might look different.
- Swelling or redness: Your feet might look swollen or red.
How It Can Affect the Feet
- Infections: Small cuts or blisters can easily turn into serious infections.
- Poor Healing: Wounds on the feet might not heal well, which can lead to bigger problems.
- Amputation: In severe cases, part of the foot and/or leg might need to be removed to stop an infection from spreading.
Treatments
- Good Foot Care: Wash and check your feet every day to catch problems early.
- Proper Shoes: Wearing shoes that fit well to protect your feet.
- Blood Sugar Control: Keeping your blood sugar levels in check to prevent further damage is the most important single thing you can do!
- See a Doctor: Regular check-ups with a healthcare provider and your Chiropodist are essential, especially if you notice any changes.
The Good News
Most diabetes related foot complications are preventable – first, by controlling your blood sugar, and then, by being knowledgeable – about what to look for, what to do and not do, and who to have on your team to keep you living well with your diabetes.
With a Diabetes Educator and Chiropodist on staff, The Foot Advantage is well-positioned to be an effective and contributing member of your care team. Let’s work together to prevent or minimize the complications of diabetes from affecting your feet. Prevention is always better than having a problem that needs fixing!