Comfort Foot Clinic

Website Links

Description

Diabetes Diabetes and Foot Issues What Are Diabetic Foot Problems? If a doctor has ever said you had an elevated blood sugar level - even just once when you were pregnant - you are at risk for diabetes. Nervous system impairment (neuropathy) is a major complication that may cause you to lose feeling in your feet or hands. This means you won't know right away if you hurt yourself. The problem affects about 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes. It is estimated that 15% of all diabetics will develop a serious foot condition at some time in their lives. With proper education and tools one can prevent the likely hood of foot health complications. Visit your local health care professional to get information on foot care, proper footwear and preventative action. Causes Poor circulation, neuropathy and decreased ability to fight infection create the grounds for a high risk foot type. Neuropathy (Nerve Damage) Neuropathy for some people have no symptoms at all. For others, numbness, tingling, or pain in the feet is often the first sign. A person can experience both pain and numbness. Often, symptoms are minor at first, and since most nerve damage occurs over several years, mild cases may go unnoticed for a long time. Neuropathy can also affect the muscles (motor neuropathy) causing muscle weakness and loss of muscle tone in the feet and lower legs, loss of balance and deformities in foot shape that can lead to areas of increased pressure. Peripheral Vascular Disease (Poor Circulation) Poor circulation is most commonly caused by a progressive blocking of the arteries in the leg (athersclerosis). Those with diabetes are more likely to develop poor circulation to the foot. Other risk factors for developing poor circulation include a lack of physical activity,smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The biggest affect of poor circulation on the foot, is that as problems (such as sores, infections, cuts, etc) develop, they do not heal as well as they should. In many cases they do not heal at all without special care. The reason for this is that the blood carries vital elements (eg oxygen) that the bodies tissues need for vitality and healing. Some of the symptoms include: - Numbness or tingling in the foot, or toes can occur. - Changes in the color of the skin (it becomes more pale, bluish, or reddish). - Changes in skin temperature (the foot becomes cooler. See cold feet). - Skin breakdowns, infection and sores do not heal as well as they should. Infection Diabetes can slow down your body's ability to fight infection. High blood glucose leads to high levels of sugar in your body's tissues. When this happens, bacteria grow and infections can develop more quickly in people with diabetes. Early treatment of infections can prevent more serious complications. While most infections in people with diabetes can be successfully treated, you must be able to recognize the symptoms of an infection in order to get proper and effective treatment. Notify your health care provider immediately if you have any of the following symptoms: Fever over 101 degrees F (38.

Companies nearby