Foot Problems And Diabetes – What You Need To Know
People who suffer from diabetes have probably already been told that diabetes is linked to feet problem, and in case your doctor has not said this, you should visit a podiatrist instead. You should contact a Kensington Podiatry such as Orthotic Solutions Podiatry or any other podiatry clinic and schedule an appointment as soon as you can.
Wearing comfortable shoes is very important
Diabetes and foot problems
Both type one and two diabetes will cause damage to your peripheral nerves and blood vessels and that can also cause problems in your legs and feet. The two main conditions that you need to know about, are:
- PAD, peripheral artery disease, which is sometimes called PVD (peripheral vascular disease), is a condition when you have an occlusion or narrowing by atherosclerotic plaques of the arteries found outside of your brain and heart. Sometimes, this is called the ‘hardening’ of the patient’s arteries. Well, you should know that there are people who have diabetes have a high chance of peripheral artery disease.
Besides the condition causing pain in the calves when you exercise, the other symptoms of PAD are related to the decreased delivery of oxygen to your feet or lower legs. In some severe cases, that lack of oxygen delivery can also result in ulcers and even gangrene that can be deadly.
- Peripheral neuropathy is the second main condition you need to know about, as it refers to damage id the peripheral nerves that are caused because of diabetes. The symptoms of this condition will cause the patients to have a decrease in sensation of their legs and feet, and that also makes it more difficult for them to realize when they perceive an injury.
In addition, this condition is also known to cause, pain, burning or tingling in the mentioned areas. The muscles in your feet might start to work improperly, which can lead to misalignment of your feet that put pressure on particular feet areas.
How to treat foot problems?
Of course, the first step would be to visit your podiatrist or doctor. You can always contact and ask help for a Sydney podiatry from Orthotic Solutions Podiatry or any other podiatrist closer to you and schedule an appointment where you will discuss the feet issues you’ve been having.
You might need to wear orthotics to correct the damage in your feet that is caused by diabetes
The treatment you need, will depend on the type of the problem you have. Some problems might require you to wear corrective shoes, for example, corns, while you have some conditions that are treated with antifungal or antibiotics, such as mild inflammations.
Tissue death or gangrene cannot be reversed, but there are some treatments that will help prevent gangrene from spreading any further or becoming even more infected. The surgical removal of these dead tissues is usually needed, and you will be given antibiotics to prevent any life-threatening infections.
How to prevent these problems?
In many cases, the problems can be avoided or prevented if you follow a strict routine from the moment you find out you are suffering from diabetes. For example, you should wear only comfortable or corrective shoes, never walk barefoot, wash your feet, check your feet daily, apply lotion, and so on.
Final word
If you really want to know how to prevent any of this from happening, or how to treat a condition you already have, you should visit your doctor or a podiatrist. Diabetes and feet problems are closely connected, so make sure to pay special attention to your feet if you have diabetes.
