Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects many different parts of your body. It can affect your eyes, kidneys, heart and more. But did you know that diabetes can also affect your feet? In fact, foot problems are one of the most common health issues for people with diabetes. Read on for a realistic diabetes foot care guide.
If you have diabetes, foot problems are the most common complaint and cause of hospitalization. They can lead to serious infections and ulcers that require amputation. In fact, foot problems are the most common reason for a diabetic to have surgery.
For people with diabetes who have nerve damage in their feet (neuropathy), it’s important to check your feet every day for sores or blisters that may need treatment by a doctor or podiatrist (foot doctor). You should also see your doctor if you notice any changes in how your feet look or feel–even if it’s just an itchiness you can’t scratch! A good diabetes specialist will give you a treatment plan for your injured foot!
Peripheral neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes that can cause numbness in the feet. Numbness means you may not be able to feel pain or injuries, which makes it hard to detect pressure or temperature changes. It can also make it difficult to detect vibrations, which may explain why some people with diabetes have trouble walking on uneven ground or stepping over small objects like rocks or sticks (even if they’re right in front of their face).
If your doctor has told you that you have peripheral neuropathy–or if you suspect that this might be part of your condition–it’s especially important to take care of your feet so they stay healthy as long as possible!
If you have poor circulation, it’s more difficult for your body to heal wounds. This can lead to ulcers on the feet, which are painful and can be serious. With this diabetes foot care guide, If an ulcer doesn’t heal properly and gets infected, it may need to be removed by a doctor. If this happens frequently enough over time, it could mean that you need to have an amputation so that the rest of your leg can heal properly without being damaged by the infection in its current state.
You’re more likely to get cuts and burns than people without diabetes. This is because of the damage that can be done to your blood vessels, which makes it harder for them to heal properly.
The skin is a barrier that protects your body from the outside world. When you have diabetes, this barrier becomes damaged by high levels of sugar in the blood stream. This means wounds take longer to heal than normal–and if they don’t heal properly at all!
Your doctor can help you devise a treatment plan for dry, cracked heels and toes.
You can use a soft brush or washcloth, but make sure that you’re gentle when doing so. Brushing your feet before bed and again in the morning will help keep them clean and free from bacteria that causes odor, infections and other problems. It’s also important to wash your feet after exercising or swimming–or if you have cuts or sores on your soles–to prevent infection from spreading into the bloodstream through open wounds in the skin.
Keeping your blood sugar under control is the best way to prevent foot injuries. If your blood sugar is high, you are more likely to get a foot injury. If it’s low, you’re also at risk for injury because of poor circulation and nerve damage that can occur when blood sugar levels drop too low (hypoglycemia).
We hope this article has helped you understand how important it is to take care of your feet. They are one of the most important parts of your body, so make sure that they’re healthy and safe!
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