Diabetic Foot: Foot problems in Diabetes
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Loading ...Most foot problems occur in diabetes due to the foot becoming insensitive to
- Damage to the nerves of legs and feet.
- Cardio-vascular complications that damage blood vessels and decreases blood flow to the legs and feet.
Decreased sensation can cause painless injury and accidents, which may get infected. In older people the blood vessels that supply blood to the feet become narrow due to thickening of the walls of large artery. These factors combine and give rise to dangerous gangrene. And once gangrene sets in the only way out is to cut-off the dead tissue.
Causes of Diabetic Foot
Blisters, ill-fitting shoes, thickening of horny layers of skin, mishandling of in-growing toe nails, ignoring nail prick, walking bare foot, abrasive injuries, poor hygiene and fungal infection are the important factors that cause foot problems.
Symptoms of Diabetic Foot
- Pale feet that feel cold;
- Pain in the legs which relieves with rest.
- Dry and parched appearance of skin.
- Hair on the legs may fall off .
- Absence of pulse at the ankle.
Preventing and Treating Diabetic Foot
- Feet should be regularly examined for minor problems like blisters, cuts, bruises and corn. Tap a spoon against the toe or pinprick and observe if it hurts. If it doesn’t hurt check your feet regularly as it may lead to major infections or gangrene.
- Feet should be washed regularly in warm water and dried thoroughly. The space between the toes should not be rubbed hard.
- Toenails should be cleaned with sticks tipped with cotton wool, especially the sides of the toenails.
- Go outdoors only with footwear.
- Correct sized clean cotton or woolen socks should be worn and washed daily.
- Avoid heat from hot water, electric heating pad, extreme cold and frost and soaking feet in water for long.
- Do not cut corns or use chemicals on them.
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