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Managing diabetes and keeping your blood sugar in a healthy range not only protects against heart attacks and strokes, but can keep your feet healthy as well.
Diabetes is a condition in which the body does not produce enough insulin or does not use insulin properly, which leads to an increase in blood sugar levels above normal. Uncontrolled high blood sugar can reduce blood flow to your feet, leading to serious complications.
Paying attention to the health of your feet – which includes recognizing the first signs of problems – and maintaining healthy blood sugar levels reduces the risk of complications.
Prolonged high blood sugar can gradually damage your blood vessels, restricting blood flow to your organs and other parts of your body. Lack of blood circulation can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney problems, and even vision problems.
Damage to blood vessels also affects blood flow to your feet, causing a number of foot health issues.
1. Diabetic neuropathy
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Nerve damage can cause a tingling sensation and pain in your feet. As your condition worsens, you may lose all feeling in your feet. This is when diabetic neuropathy becomes dangerous.
Pain is a warning that something is wrong with the body. It can alert you to cuts, sores and blisters on your feet. But if you have diabetic neuropathy and you lose feeling in your feet, a cut or blister may go unnoticed for a long time. If you don’t get prompt treatment for these types of injuries, you could develop an infection.
2. Gangrene
Diabetic neuropathy can lead to other complications. The reduced blood flow to your feet means that sores or infections may not heal as easily. Infections that don’t heal can progress to gangrene, which is the death of tissue due to lack of blood flow.
If gangrene begins to affect other parts of your body, your doctor may need to amputate a toe, foot, or leg to stop it spreading.
3. Peripheral vascular disease
Diabetes can also cause a circulation disorder called peripheral vascular disease. This cardiovascular disease results from limited blood flow to the legs and feet. A blockage or narrowing of the blood vessels also restricts blood flow.
This condition can occur in anyone, but the risk is higher in people with diabetes because changes in the blood vessels often prevent regular blood flow. In addition, high blood sugar can thicken the blood to the point that it does not flow easily.
4. Charcot foot
Nerve damage caused by diabetes can also trigger a rare condition known as Charcot’s foot. This usually happens when a person has an injury, such as a sprain or fracture, that goes unnoticed due to the lack of sensation caused by peripheral neuropathy. When the person continues to step on the injured foot, it causes bone trauma.
The deformity occurs when the joints break up and sag. The arch of the foot often collapses too, causing roundness on the underside of the feet.
In addition to the foot deformity, other signs of Charcot’s foot include swelling and your feet may appear red and hot to the touch.
A round bottom on the feet also increases the risk of friction sores. If you have diabetic neuropathy and you lose feeling in your feet, an open wound can become infected. This puts you at risk of amputation.
Poor blood circulation and poor circulation can slow down the healing process of foot wounds, putting you at risk for serious and life-threatening complications.
Even if you have not lost the feeling of your feet, bring the following symptoms to the attention of your doctor. Signs of foot problems include:
You can avoid serious complications from diabetes by seeing your doctor and getting early treatment for conditions that affect your feet.
Diabetic neuropathy
Unfortunately, there is no cure for diabetic neuropathy. But there are steps you can take to slow the progression of this disease. Your doctor will likely recommend pain relievers to help relieve nerve pain.
For mild nerve pain, you can take over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. For moderate or severe pain, prescription medications like anti-epileptics and antidepressants can help relieve nerve pain and improve the quality of your life.
Maintaining a healthy weight and getting regular physical activity can also slow the progression of diabetic neuropathy.
Peripheral vascular disease
If you develop peripheral vascular disease, your doctor will also recommend treatment to slow the progression of the disease and improve blood circulation.
Regular exercise, eating a healthy balanced diet, and losing weight can help improve blood circulation, just like quitting smoking. Smoking restricts the blood vessels.
Treatment may also involve drugs to reduce blood clotting, lower your cholesterol level, or lower your blood pressure depending on the underlying cause of a blockage.
Good diabetes management – medication, regular exercise, and a healthy diet – can also reduce symptoms of peripheral vascular disease.
In severe cases, angioplasty may be necessary for peripheral vascular disease. This is surgery to open a blocked artery and restore blood flow.
Gangrene and charcot foot
Treatment for gangrene involves antibiotics to kill bacteria and stop infection, as well as surgery to remove damaged tissue. Treatment of Charcot’s foot consists of preventing further deformities.
Wearing a cast to immobilize the foot and ankle can gradually strengthen these bones, as can wearing custom shoes or a brace. In severe cases, surgery can help correct a deformity.
One way to prevent diabetes-related foot problems is to keep your blood sugar in a healthy range, so check your blood sugar regularly. Also take your diabetes medication as directed. If you cannot control your blood sugar, see your doctor.
Other tips for avoiding foot problems include:
- Stay physically active for at least 30 minutes most days of the week.
- Consult a nutritionist or certified diabetes educator (CDE) for advice on meal planning.
- Stop smoking.
- Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in a healthy range.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
Not only do you need to take steps to keep your blood sugar levels within a healthy range, but you also need to take steps to keep your feet healthy. Here’s how to protect your feet with diabetes:
- Examine your feet daily and look for signs of injury, such as scrapes, cuts, blisters, etc.
- Wear well-fitting shoes to avoid injuries and blisters.
- Don’t go barefoot.
- Moisturize your feet daily.
- Wash and dry your feet daily.
- Cut your toenails crosswise to avoid ingrown toenails.
- See a doctor to remove corns or calluses (don’t do it yourself).
- Treat cuts immediately to avoid infection (clean wounds daily and apply antibiotic ointment).
Some diabetic foot complications are life threatening or put you at risk for amputation. See a doctor if you have any concerns or notice any unusual changes with your feet.
A seemingly minor problem like cracked skin on your feet, yellow toenails, athlete’s foot, or ingrown toenail can turn into a serious problem if left untreated. Also see your doctor for any cuts or scrapes that don’t heal to avoid infection in your feet.
While there is no cure for diabetes, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and taking your medications as directed can lower your risk of complications.
It is very important to keep your feet healthy when you have diabetes. Check your feet daily for any signs of injury or infection and see your doctor right away if you notice any unusual symptoms.
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