Diabetic Foot Management & Prevention!

Prolonged diabetes and high sugar levels can cause damage to nerves and blood vessels. This results in foot numbness and wounds on the foot do not heal and change color with time. There are two types of diabetic foot problems that affect people who have prolonged diabetes: Diabetic Neuropathy and Peripheral Vascular Disease. These are described as follows:

Diabetic Neuropathy:

Diabetic neuropathy is a condition in which the patient has numbness in the foot. Such a condition makes it difficult for the patient to feel the pain and sensation in the foot.

Peripheral Vascular Disease:

Peripheral vascular disease results in the problem of blood flow in hands and legs. Fat deposits block blood flow which further causes heart problems.

Apart from these, the nerve damage in diabetic patients can also be caused due to high sugar levels, high blood pressure, and weight issues. This may lead to neurological problems including lack of sensation in the foot. In such cases, patients tend to have soreness and irritation in their feet but that is not felt by them. Such neurological problems require immediate attention from doctors.

Symptoms of Diabetic Foot:

The signs of diabetic feet differ from person to person. However, the symptoms mentioned below are common with such diseases:

1. A color change of the foot

2. Soreness

3. Wounds on foot which are not healing

4. Swelling

5. Numbness in foot

6. Tingling and deformity

7. Red streaks and stains on socks

Diabetic Foot Management Practices:

Keeping feet healthy and clean is the key to managing a diabetic foot. Keeping a few things in mind will help the sugar patient delay or prevent diabetic foot problems. Some of these are:

1. Check feet on a routine basis for any kind of change. This can be done by the patient himself or someone else.

2. Wash and clean feet.

3. Wear cotton socks which are comfortable and support feet the whole day. Shoes should be worn with proper fitting and size so that deformity in the feet does not occur.

4. Do feet exercises (or full body exercises if possible) daily to promote blood flow.

5. Trimming nails is essential. Looking to ingrown and remove them to avoid infections is also an important preventive measure.

6. It is essential to keep a check on blood sugar. The sugar should be checked daily and it is also suggested to keep a log for the same.

7. Smoking is prohibited and should be avoided to lower the risk of the diabetic foot.

Prevention of Diabetic Foot:

Diabetes can cause problems in many parts of the body and foot is very common to get affected among diabetic patients. It is necessary to prevent and take cautions that can lead to foot ulcers, infections, gangrene, and foot deformity.

A diabetic foot disease can lead to amputation of feet. Contact a doctor when you notice foot problems like ulcers, infections and tingling sensation. There are different treatments available in medical science for managing diabetic foot and diabetic neuropathy.

Successful procedures like endocrine surgeries have been found to be very useful for fighting diabetic foot problems. The surgery is performed on the patient to remove decaying tissues and glands. Surgery may vary depending upon the condition of the patient. However, it has been noticed that with proper care and prevention of diabetic foot problems can be treated with non-surgical treatments of medicine as well.

Conclusion:

Diabetic feet are one of the most common problems that may occur to diabetic patients. This is why it is advisable to consult a doctor as soon as a patient experiences or notices any of the symptoms.