Why Diabetics Should Pay Extra Attention to Their Foot Care

Patients who are new to diabetes treatment may be surprised when they find they need special care for their feet. The widespread effects of diabetes may startle those who begin to wonder what diabetes means and the impact it can have on their lives. 

Dr. Enrique Hernandez and the team at Advanced Vascular Cardiac & Veins specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of foot wounds, a common complication of diabetes. 

Your feet are the farthest extremities on your body, and blood returning to your heart must often travel against gravity. When diabetes begins to add to the burden, your feet may suffer disproportionately. 

Diabetes review

Elevated levels of glucose in the blood define diabetes, but there are several reasons why this occurs. 

Type 1 diabetes develops when your body slows or stops producing the hormone insulin. As one of its duties, insulin signals to cells to open and accept glucose from the blood as metabolic fuel. When there’s no insulin, glucose levels begin to climb. 

Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body still manufactures insulin, but your cells begin to resist insulin messages. What would otherwise be a sufficient level of the hormone is no longer enough to manage the glucose transfer between the bloodstream and cells. 

High levels of blood glucose caused by diabetes take a toll on both the blood vessels and nerve tissue unless they’re brought under control.

How diabetes affects your feet

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about half of all diabetics experience some level of damage to nerve tissue. While this can happen anywhere in your body, feet suffer more often due to the challenges to their blood supply. 

Nerve damage in your feet can create a wide range of effects. In some cases, you may feel pain even when there’s not a physical reason for it. Often with diabetes, though, you feel tingling, numbness, and loss of sensation. 

Nerve damage is just the beginning, however. Another side effect of high blood glucose is poor blood flow. Again, the problem is amplified because of the location of your feet. Minor cuts and scrapes that were once no issue may now take longer to heal or not heal at all. 

Why you should pay extra attention to your foot care

If you have poor blood flow and diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage), you may be unaware of wounds you have on your feet. These wounds could ulcerate without your knowledge, leading to serious problems. 

Amputations occur for almost 2% of some segments of the diabetic community, often due to this combination of blood vessel impairment and nerve damage. 

Infection is another potential risk. Cuts and cracks can admit germs and fungus, and your inability to recognize pain sensations means these could develop without your knowledge, too. 

Managing diabetic foot care starts with blood glucose level control. This prevents your condition from getting worse. Daily inspections of your feet as well as washing and drying helps to prevent infections while you stay alert for foot injuries. 

When you have slow-healing foot wounds associated with diabetes or any other condition, touch base with us at Advanced Vascular Cardiac & Veins for expert diagnosis and treatment. Request an appointment by phone or online today.