7 Foot Health Tips (For People With Diabetes)

People with diabetes are twice as likely to have problems with their feet, and they can go on to develop nerve damage.

One form of this nerve damage is diabetic peripheral neuropathy or DPN. If you have DPN you can develop foot ulcers and ultimately wind of losing that foot.

So it’s really important if you have things such as:

• Tingling (like pins & needles)
• Burning
• Sensations of shock
• Sharp or stabbing pains
• Numbness (some people say they can’t feel their feet at all)

These all may be warning signs for nerve damage.

60 to 70% of people with diabetes have some form of nerve damage or what we call Neuropahty.

Poor Blood Flow

Poor blood flow is another problem that can impact the feet.

With diabetes and high cholesterol, fat and cholesterol deposits in the arteries prevent good blood flow otherwise known as peripheral vascular disease.

Poor blood flow to your limbs makes it harder for your body to heal from injuries and even fight off even seemingly minor skin infections.

It’s very important to understand the challenges of having diabetes.

In the U.S. 60% of all lower limb amputations are related to diabetes.

You could get a seemingly minor cut on your foot and not even know it’s there. This cut could become infected.

With diabetes you have a compromised immune system and that local infection could very quickly spread and become gangrenes. In order to save your life you actually have to amputate at the site of the infection.

That is why so many diabetes experience amputation.

In African Americans the likelihood of a lower limb amputation is 3 times higher.

What can we do to avoid this?

Here are 3 things to do to avoid further issues with your feet:

• Inspect your feet – look for cuts, blisters, red spots, and feel for lumps.
• Dry between your toes to prevent fungal infections.
• Make sure that your shoes are always comfortable and a good fit.

Here are 4 things to do to avoid further issues with your diabetes:

• Keep your blood sugar stable.
• Control your blood pressure.
• Reduce your cholesterol.
• Stop smoking (makes blood flow much worse.

Make sure to get regular examinations of your feet… and anything, no matter how small that’s going on with your feet, you tell your doctor about.

Your podiatrist can do a monofilament test to see how much feeling you have in your feet. This uses a small thread like device to touch your foot in different areas, and see if you feel it. It is completely painless.

Here’s What To Do Now

If you have diabetes and would like to get your feet checked out by a qualified podiatrist, give us a call today at 301-937-5666 or click here to request your appointment online.