Diabetic Foot Problems
Diabetes increases the risk of foot problems due to high blood sugar levels. Peripheral vascular disease and diabetic neuropathy are two main foot problems seen in diabetes that can result in severe complications.
Diabetes is responsible for 50% of all foot amputations. So, it is important to manage your blood sugar levels and understand foot complications to prevent and manage them.
Foot Problems In Diabetes
The two major foot problems include:
Diabetic Neuropathy
If your blood sugar levels are high, it can damage your nerves, a condition known as diabetic neuropathy. Damaged nerves can numb your feet, reducing awareness of infections, injuries, and tight shoes.
If the infection goes untreated, it can cause the death of the tissues, resulting in gangrene. And if gangrene is not managed immediately, it may require amputation and even result in death.
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is a condition where the blood flow is affected due to narrow or blocked blood vessels.
In addition to nerves, diabetes also affects your blood vessels, including arteries. High blood sugar levels can damage your arteries, increasing the risk of fatty deposits and thus peripheral vascular disease.
Reduced blood flow can lead to infection, pain, and slow healing wounds. If an infection becomes severe, it may need an amputation.
Symptoms
Some common symptoms of diabetic foot problems include:
· A tingling sensation or numbness
· A loss of feeling
· Skin discoloration
· Wounds or blisters without pain
· Red streaks
· Staining on socks
· Painful tingling
The following symptoms indicate an infection:
· Chills
· Fever
· Shaking
· Shock
· Uncontrollable blood sugar levels
· Redness
If you have the symptoms of infection, seek emergency treatment.
Complications
Diabetic neuropathy and PVD may cause the following complications:
· Fungal infection of nails: Nails become discolored, brittle, and thick. The infected nail may crumble or separate from the rest of your nail.
· Athlete’s foot: It is a type of fungal infection caused by germs entering through cracks in your skin. It can cause redness, itching, and cracking.
· Corns: It is an accumulation of hard skin between toes or near a bony area of your toe. Corns occur due to pressure from the shoes that cause friction between your toes or rub against your toes.
· Calluses: It is also a buildup of hard skin, mainly on the underside of the foot. Poorly fitting shoes or uneven weight distribution thickens the skin and result in callus formation.
· Bunions: In this condition, the big toe bends towards the second toe and the spot where the big toe joins your foot becomes callused and red.
· Diabetic ulcers: It is a deep sore or a break in the skin. Ulcers can result from cuts or scrapes that are slow to heal.
· Others: Dry skin, ingrown toenails, plantar warts, and hammertoes are other diabetic foot complications.
Treatment of diabetic foot problems may be surgical or non-surgical. Non-surgical treatment options include antibiotics, painkillers, cleaning and dressing of the wound, and immobilization devices. Surgical options include removing dead tissue, amputation, surgical stabilization, an arterial bypass, and endovascular surgery.
