Tell your doctor about any change in sensation in your toes, toes, or legs. Talk if you notice pain, tingling, tingling, numbness, or any other unusual sign, even if it seems trivial to you. There is nothing easy about a possible amputation of a foot. Wear shoes and socks at all times.
Don't walk barefoot or just wearing socks, even when you're indoors. You could step on something and injure your feet. You may not feel any pain and may not know that you have hurt yourself. Nerve damage and poor blood circulation, another complication of diabetes, put you at risk of developing a foot ulcer (a sore or wound).With diabetes, a foot ulcer may become infected and not heal well.
If the infection doesn't get better with treatment, your toe, foot, or leg may need to be amputated (surgically removed). This is done to prevent the infection from spreading and to save your life. Diabetes: personal foot care; diabetic foot ulcer: foot care; diabetic neuropathy: foot care. Remember that monitoring your blood sugar level and taking care of your feet every day are the best steps you can take to prevent serious diabetic foot problems.
Because of nerve damage, people with diabetes may not feel a shoe rubbing against the skin of the foot. Prescription pain relievers can ease diabetic foot pain, but long-term use of these drugs is not recommended. Any foot problem related to skin, nerves, or circulation has a higher risk of becoming an infection or other complication when you have diabetes. Although rare, nerve damage caused by diabetes can cause changes in the shape of the feet, such as Charcot's foot.
Problems with blood flow and nerves make it more likely that people with diabetes will injure their feet and not notice it until the infection appears. Over time, diabetes can cause nerve damage, also called diabetic neuropathy, which can cause tingling and pain, and can cause loss of feeling in the feet. Braces also play an important role in treating the feet of diabetics, who have previously developed foot ulcers and Charcot syndrome. Even with foot checks and careful blood glucose control, some people with diabetes develop infections.
At least once a year, the doctor must perform an examination of the feet of diabetics (examine them in depth). In severe cases, diabetic foot problems can result in the amputation of a toe or part of the leg. The two most important factors in determining if you have diabetic neuropathy are how many years you have had diabetes and how well you control your blood sugar. Work with your health care team to develop a diabetes self-care plan, which is a plan of action for managing diabetes.
