Why Foot Exams Are Important For Diabetics

Every time I go to the doctor's office, I see a sign with a cartoon on it that says "Be sure to take off your socks and shoes if you're diabetic." I've been asked by family members what that means; here's the answer.

Diabetes can damage nerves. It's called diabetic neuropathy, which means that the nerves don't always feel sensations such as pain when an injury happens. It can do a lot of other things, such as send false pain signals to the brain as well.

That's not the only threat diabetes poses for your feet. The immune system is not as strong and it doesn't fight off infections easily. Clogged arteries occur at an earlier age in diabetics, which can lessen the blood flow to the legs and feet.

Without feeling in the feet, an injury may go unnoticed. These injuries are more prone to infection and they don't heal as quickly. In fact, some wounds can take years to heal. Unfortunately, there are also some that lead to amputations. The earlier these wounds are found and treated, the less likely and amputation will be required.

There are things you can do, as well. Keeping your blood sugar under control is vital. This can prevent further damage to your nerves. You should also check your feet carefully every day. Ask your doctor what you should do if you do get an injury to your feet.

Keeping your skin properly moisturized is important. Cracked, dry skin can let bacteria in and start an infection. Be careful about bath temperatures also. Hot water can dry your skin out, so use warm or cool water only.

You may be told to wear special shoes. I've seen them and I know they look odd, but they help you avoid pressure points that cause calluses. These calluses can turn into ulcers very quickly in a diabetic. If you develop calluses, ask your doctor what to do about them. While caring for them yourself is possible, you may be better off letting a professional deal with them. This is especially important if you have poor eyesight or you have little/no feeling in your feet.

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Why Is Diabetic Foot Care So Important?

The sad fact is that diabetes is becoming increasingly common. So common in fact that it's bordering on becoming an epidemic. Although everyone knows that diabetes has to do with insulin and blood sugar, many people are surprised at how many other parts the body are affected. They also may be very surprised at all the emphasis their physicians and other healthcare providers place on taking care of their feet. Why is this? Why is diabetic foot care so important?

There are two main types of diabetes. In type I, a person's pancreas can't produce enough insulin to control blood sugars. In type II, at least in the early stages a person's pancreas can't produce insulin but because of factors such as diet, obesity and being overweight the insulin becomes less and less effective. That is, a given amount of insulin has progressively less effect on lowering the blood sugar. This is referred to as insulin resistance.

In either case, the end result is high blood sugar. When the blood sugar gets too high it can combine in unusual ways with a number of proteins. Because of this it can create problems in lots of organs.

Some of the more common problems caused by diabetes has to do with injury to the kidneys, eyes, blood vessels and nerves. With regards to the feet, the damage to the circulation of blood vessels are particularly relevant.

When the nerves are damaged it's like they're injected with Novocain. In that situation a person can step on a nail, for example, and never know it.

The nerve injury diabetics experience is called diabetic neuropathy. In the earlier stages it may be painful even as the nerves are failing to do their job of reporting abnormal pressure or other damage to the feet. In the later stages it most often is just a numbness.

The injury also affects the small muscles in the foot that control the alignment of the bones. When these aren't working properly it's very common for the bones to shift out of position causing deformity of the foot. This deformity makes even more likely that abnormal pressure points and areas of injury will develop.

At the same time damage to the circulation by the diabetes compounds the risk for problems.

The mainstay of care, of course, should be the best possible control blood sugars. This can actually prevent, or at least greatly reduce the risk of any serious problems developing.

But even with good blood sugar control, meticulous preventive care is important. This really is a situation where an ounce of prevention is worth way more than a pound of cure. Not to create anxiety and anyone, but the sad fact is that diabetes and the foot problems it causes are the leading cause of leg amputations. That's why diabetic foot care is so important.

On a positive note, proper care and prevention isn't that difficult. It really is a matter of developing good habits, the equivalent of brushing your teeth. To get some excellent advice on just what to do visit Diabetic Foot Care.

you may also find it helpful to get some Facts about Diabetic Foot Problems.

Hope this helps.

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