The Importance of Foot Care for Diabetics: by Julia Franklin
Diabetes can cause nerve damage which can result in problems due to lack of sensation in the feet. Diabetes can also cause poor circulation, which means that healing of sores of infections is delayed or prevented. Put these two factors together and you can see how easily people with Diabetes can have serious foot problems. Infections in people with Diabetes can become uncontrolled, very quickly, leading to serious consequences if action is not taken swiftly.
People with Diabetes should be given a full foot examination every year by a Podiatrist to check for any deterioration in nerve function or circulation. Any changes to the feet or problems should be reported without delay.
Symptoms of nerve damage include numbness, loss of feeling, tingling, burning sensations or pain. Those of impaired blood supply include pain at rest – especially at night, pain in the calf whilst walking, and feet that feel cold to the touch.
Foot ulcers are common in Diabetics with loss of sensation and poor blood circulation. An ulcer is where an area of skin has broken down and you can see the underlying tissue.
Every year thousands of people have toes, feet and even legs amputated because of diabetes related foot problems. However, most of these could have been prevented by proper foot care. It therefore makes sense, when you have Diabetes, to take a lot more care of your feet.
