Diabetes is a condition that impacts many areas of one’s life, from eyesight to fertility to feet. If you or someone you know have diabetes, you should be followed by a medical professional to make sure that all the risks connected to your pathology are under control.
Developing worrisome feet and neurological issues is fairly common, so make sure you keep all of your symptoms checked. Find out more about diabetic foot care and how this could save your life…
Feet And Diabetes: What Are The Risks?
Diabetes is known for threatening feet’s health with incredible risks. But why does it happen? One of the most important reasons is that diabetes can affect both circulation and the nerves in your feet, which can result in reduced blood flow, a loss of feeling in your lower limbs and vulnerability to sores.
This can lead to difficulty in healing from injuries or, even, noticing that you are hurt in the first place.
Nerve damage, known as peripheral neuropathy, does not always mean complete loss of sensation. It can also cause burning, tingling, numbness or sharp pains, while other causes of diabetic foot pain can include circulation problems, pressure from footwear or an unrelated problem with the muscles and joints of the foot. Pain is therefore worth paying attention to rather than simply assuming that it is an inevitable part of diabetes.
It’s extremely important that you rely on diabetic foot care, as a failure to do so could have a dramatic outcome on your health, leading to amputation.
What Does Good Diabetic Foot Care Involve?
Looking after your feet does not begin when something hurts. In fact, if diabetes has affected the sensation in your feet, pain may not be the first sign that anything is wrong.
Get into the habit of checking your feet every day, including the soles, heels and between your toes. Look for changes such as rubbing, redness, blisters, cuts, swelling, hard skin or anything else that is unusual for your feet. If reaching the soles is difficult, a mirror or help from somebody else can make checking easier. Diabetes UK recommends daily checks because foot problems can become worse quickly, particularly where sensation has changed.
Good daily foot care when you have diabetes also includes keeping your feet clean, drying them carefully and wearing shoes that fit properly without rubbing or squeezing. Check inside your shoes before putting them on, particularly if you have reduced sensation, as something as small as a stone or damaged lining can create repeated pressure without you necessarily feeling it.
Your skin needs attention too. Diabetes and dry feet often occur together, and very dry skin can crack, particularly around the heels. Moisturising can help protect the skin, although cream should not be applied between the toes where excess moisture can cause other problems.
Toenails can also become a source of trouble if they are cut too short, damaged or allowed to grow into the surrounding skin. Safe nail care for diabetics is especially important if you have reduced sensation, poor eyesight, difficulty reaching your feet or thickened nails that are difficult to manage without causing injury.
Symptoms To Be Worried About…
There are many things you should take care of in order to ensure that your feet are healthy. The first one is, of course, to keep your sugar levels checked and controlled; but you also have to speak to a medical professional if any of these symptoms arise:
- You notice a wound on your feet
- Your feet have a different odour
- Your feet are swollen
- You feel pain
- Your feet are red, blue, pale or dark
- You notice that you have a sore oozing pus or other kinds of discharge
You should also pay attention to a new blister, unexplained warmth, a change in the shape of the foot or a foot that becomes hot and swollen. A diabetic sore on your foot that is not healing should not simply be watched to see whether it eventually improves.
Some of these changes need more than a routine podiatry appointment. NICE classifies ulceration, infection, gangrene, serious loss of blood supply and suspected acute Charcot arthropathy as active diabetic foot problems. Diabetes UK advises contacting your local foot team urgently, generally within 24 hours, for changes including a red, hot or swollen foot, new wounds, leaking or bad-smelling wounds, or new unexplained pain.
Diabetic Foot Checks: How Often Do You Need One?
If you have diabetes, your feet should be assessed when you are diagnosed and at least annually after that as part of your diabetes care. How often you need further checks then depends on your individual risk rather than everybody with diabetes needing the same appointment schedule. NICE recommends annual assessment for people at low risk, with more frequent reassessment for those at moderate or high risk.
A diabetic foot check is not simply somebody looking to see whether your feet appear healthy. Assessment can include checking for nerve damage and loss of sensation, problems with circulation, ulcers, corns and calluses, inflammation, infection and changes to the shape of the foot. Your level of risk can then be identified so that the right level of monitoring and preventative care can be recommended.
Diabetic Foot Care: When A Specialist Is Needed…
Seeing a foot care practitioner is important for everyone, regardless of any pre-existing conditions.
However, if you have diabetes, you should have your feet assessed at least annually, with more frequent checks if you have been identified as being at moderate or high risk of developing diabetic foot problems.
If you are experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms, it’s vital that you seek the appropriate professional assessment as soon as possible. New wounds, infection or a hot, swollen or discoloured foot can require urgent care through your GP, foot protection team or specialist diabetic foot service rather than waiting for a routine appointment.
For routine and preventative foot care, however, a podiatrist can play an important role in keeping problems under control and spotting changes that need further investigation.
Amongst the many things that a Foot Care Practitioner can do for your diabetic foot you can find:
- An in-depth check-up to rule out any particular concern
- Help in grooming
- Corn and calluses removal
- Help in choosing the right shoes
- Tips to stay active
- Help with dry feet
At Northwich Foot Clinic, our podiatry and foot care services can include checks on circulation and sensation, alongside help with skin and nail problems and other foot-health concerns.
Scheduling Your Appointment
Taking care of your feet’s health before any serious issue arises is fundamental. Schedule your appointment with one of our licensed podiatrists today through our online form or give us a call at 01606 45077.
