All you need to know about diabetes: your feet are at risk of amputation

05:00 p

Monday, March 11, 2019

(AFP)

Dr. Mohammed Ali Matar said that diabetes affects all organs of the body, noting that the effects on the feet in particular were one of the most serious complications because they could cause amputation of the foot.

The consultant in vascular surgery in Cairo explained that diabetes affects the peripheral nerves, causing inflammation of the peripheral nerves, thus reducing pain and causing foot injury without feeling the patient.

It also affects the arteries of the limbs and causes peripheral bleeding, the main cause of non-healing wounds, ulcers and the arrival of blood to the foot is weak and inadequate due to weakness or blockage of arteries feeding the foot.

Distortions in the feet

In addition, diabetes can cause small arthritic joints of the feet and fingers, resulting in deformities of the feet. Diabetes also has effects on the skin, such as dry skin, "Kalu" and fungal infections, or on nails, such as cloning and fungal infections of the nails. Diabetes also causes a decrease in body immunity and resistance to inflammation, including diabetes mellitus.

The consultant advised diabetic foot treatment, that because of nerve damage, the patient loses the sensation of limbs, especially lower limbs, is the alarm signal that indicates the presence of any harmful element for the skin, such as injury, pressure, burns and dryness.

In the absence of this warning, the patient does not feel his foot, which makes him appear bruises and ulcers without being felt after the complications. He feels a tingling and tingling sensation in the patient. Weak, deformed and subject to breakage, even without being sick.

Symptoms of atherosclerosis

With the onset of symptoms of atherosclerosis, which is the contraction of the muscles of the soles of the feet "sock" and the loss of the ability to walk for a long time and the emergence of intense pain during sleep.

In advanced cases, ulcers and fissures in the feet appear without scarring of the wound, and cold feet or a pale or blue color on the weakness of the circulation. Due to the arrival of less blood to the foot, the foot receives less oxygen and nutrients necessary for wound healing and the fight against infection.

When the nerves and arteries are damaged, the diabetic may not notice simple wounds, which quickly develop a serious infection threatening the health of the foot and lower limb. If it is not treated, it can also threaten the whole body.

Therapeutic catheter

A colleague of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland remarked that the use of the therapeutic catheter, a device such as the needle entering the artery under the "I", and the "catheter". influence of a local anesthetic, and the expansion of peripheral arteries by the balloon with the installation of a metal abutment Open it to allow the blood to pass through the limbs, this which leads to the complete blood flow of the foot and brings the pulse back to the foot at the same time, so that the patient leaves the hospital the same day.

Balloon technology has witnessed recent developments, including small and large diameter balloons, which allow the expansion of arteries below the knee, as well as self-opening brackets that can be easily used in narrow-angle arteries.

This type of treatment is the latest in modern atherosclerosis and diabetic foot disease: it saves millions of diabetics from amputation because it allows the expansion of peripheral arteries by catheterization.