subject: Are You Diabetic? Understand How To Properly Care For Your Feet [print this page] Diabetes is a lifelong chronic disease in which there are high levels of sugar in the blood. It can also decrease your body's ability to fight off infections. When diabetes is not properly controlled, damage can occur to the organs and impairment of the immune system is likely to occur. Additionally, foot problems commonly develop in people with diabetes and can quickly become very serious.
With damage to your nervous system, you may not be able to feel your feet properly. Normal sweat secretion and oil production that lubricates the skin of the foot is impaired. These factors together can lead to abnormal pressure on the skin, bones, and joints of the foot during walking and can lead to the breakdown of the skin of the foot, which could even cause sores to develop. If you have diabetes, it is important to prevent foot problems before they occur, recognize problems early, and to seek the right treatment when a problem does happen.
Diabetic Complications in Your Feet
There are several risk factors that increase your chances of developing foot problems and diabetic infections in the legs and feet. First of all, poorly fitting shoes are one of the most common causes of diabetic foot complications. If you have red spots, sore spots, blisters, corns, calluses, or consistent pain associated with wearing shoes, new properly fitted shoes must be obtained as soon as possible. Additionally, if you have common foot abnormalities such as flat feet, bunions, or hammertoes, prescription shoes or shoe inserts may be necessary to protect your feet from further damage.
People with long-standing or poorly controlled diabetes are at risk for having damage to the nerves in their feet, which is known in the medical community as peripheral neuropathy. If you have nerve damage, you may not be able to feel your feet normally. You may also be unable to sense the position of your feet and toes while walking and balancing, which can cause more harm to your feet. Normal nerves allow people to sense if their shoes are rubbing on the feet or if one part of the foot is becoming strained while walking. If you have diabetes you may not be able to properly sense minor injuries-such as cuts, scrapes and blisters-signs of abnormal wear and tear, and foot strain.
The health of your feet can also be compromised through the following:
*Poor circulation
*Trauma to the foot
*Infections
*Smoking
Practice Prevention Measures Immediately
Diabetes can be dangerous to your feet, so take precautions now. To avoid serious problems that could result in losing a toe, foot, or leg, follow these guidelines:
*Inspect your feet daily
*Wash your feet in lukewarm water-not hot!
*Be gentle when bathing your feet
*Moisturize your feet
*Cut nails carefully
*Never treat corns or calluses yourself
*Wear clean, dry socks
*Avoid the wrong type of socks
*Shake out your shoes before wearing
*Keep your feet warm and dry
*Never walk barefoot
*Don't smoke
*Take care of your diabetes
*Visit your podiatrist for periodic foot exams
If you have diabetes, talk to your podiatrist in Scottsdale, AZ for further diagnosis and protection of your feet. Remember, prevention is the key to saving your feet.
