The Importance of Foot Care with Diabetes

Getting diagnosed with diabetes doesn’t have to end one’s enjoyment of life, but it can throw many cautionary factors into the mix. Diet, exercise, and blood sugar levels becomes important considerations, but so does monitoring the potential effects of the disease on the body. One of the places complications from diabetes can sneak up on you is the feet, and not engaging in proper diabetic foot care can lead to big trouble.

What makes diligent diabetic foot care so important is the way the disease can deaden the sensation of injuries to the feet. The nerves of the feet can become damaged (neuropathy), which can sometimes cause haywire feelings of tingling or pain, and even full numbness.

Neuropathy can hide the development of a cut or sore on the foot, which means it doesn’t get treated. This usually isn’t too big of a deal in a normal foot, as things may heal well enough on their own. In a diabetic foot, however, the healing process is often greatly slowed or stalled as a result of poor circulation, providing ample opportunity for the wound to worsen and grow seriously infected. This is how many feet and lower legs end up getting amputated every year.

We don’t want that to happen to you, but we also don’t want you to live your life fearing every step you take. Diabetic foot care is really quite simple to do! Your role is to check your feet every day for signs of injury, discoloration, or anything else out of the ordinary. If it doesn’t clear up in a couple days, give us a call. It’s important that you have your feet examined at least once a year so you can rest assured. When problems are caught and treated early, there’s no need to fret.

For questions and help with your diabetic foot care, Family Foot & Ankle Care of Jasper is here for you. Simply give us a call at (812) 481-7200 and we’d be happy to help you schedule an appointment.