How does Diabetes affect my foot?

Diabetes causes the supply of glucose in the blood to decrease, which leads to limited blood levels overall.

This can result in:

• Permanent nerve damage (called peripheral neuropathy, which reduces your ability to feel pressure and pain).
• Poor circulation (called peripheral vascular disease, which delays your ability to heal cuts or sores).
• Poorly managed diabetes can increase your risk of developing ulcers and even lead to amputation.

Symptoms that warrant urgent review, include:

• Cold feet
• Numbness
• Sharp pain in your leg after walking
• Pins & neadles
• Any change in foot colour, such as redder skin.
• Any nail changes, corns, callouses, cracked or dry skin should be seen by your podiatrist within one week.

Given their extremity on the body, feet are often the first place to show such diabetic-related symptoms.  This is why it is so important to pay attention to any changes in your feet if you have diabetes.

Annual diabetes assessment & testing

Slow healing, poor resistance to infections, and the rapid onset of diabetic complications make thorough and effective diabetes management essential.

Common foot problems such as corns or calluses can quickly escalate to form deep ulcers that may become infected. Such infections may penetrate to the bone and require amputation of the affected limb.

Most experts recommend at least an annual diabetes assessment and check-up with your podiatrist if you have diabetes or are at risk. Your qualified podiatrist will check for issues such as:

• Conditions such as corns or discolouration
• Pain or discomfort in the feet and legs
• Unusual sensations or itchiness
• Skin damage or injuries

In-depth diagnostic tools including reflex and vibration testing enable the podiatrist to detect any nerve damage and assess the levels of blood circulation to your feet. Podiatrists are experts in treating diabetic foot conditions.

Prevention of damage to your feet is obviously the best first step.

We can assess the way you walk as well as the suitability of your shoes. And we will suggest footwear changes such as padding, rocker soles or custom orthotics to keep your feet in a healthy condition.

Diabetes management

If you have diabetes it is vital that you manage your blood sugar levels appropriately and try to improve your circulation.

Make an appointment too with Croydon Total Footcare so a podiatrist can analyse your feet mobility and walking/running action. Managing your diabetes properly and eliminating pressure points on your feet and any other alignment issues will help to prevent problems.

We can also recommend a care programme that will help manage any foot conditions that arise due to your diabetes including swelling, cuts & sores, deep infections, ingrown toenails & corns.

Ulcers are particularly dangerous for diabetics because of the likelihood of infection. They can be challenging to treat but it is vital to remove pressure from the ulcerated area. The best practice treatment of foot ulcers may include:

• Compression wraps
• Custom orthotics
• Foot braces

Minor surgery may also be essential to remove dead skin and clean out infected areas.

You should visit your podiatrist if you have corns or calluses. The tissue around corns and calluses can rapidly become infected and eventually become ulcerated. Do not attempt to treat foot problems yourself if you are diabetic.

Diabetes education

Many diabetics are unaware of the dangers of ignoring their foot problems.

But it can be even more dangerous to treat your own feet. Mismanagement of foot problems can quickly turn a simple problem into a very serious issue. For many diabetics, especially the elderly, lack of mobility may make self-treatment impossible anyway.

As part of our comprehensive diabetic footcare package we’ll monitor the condition of your feet and keep you informed about changes to the nerve and circulation health.

We offer a total foot healthcare plan including:

• Toenail clipping & care
• Care of corns and calluses
• Management of infections

We’ll tell you about the best choice of footwear for your lifestyle and can modify your existing footwear to provide the foot support and protection you need.

We supply custom orthotics, specialised footwear and padding, and diabetic support hosiery to ensure you can put your best feet forward.

As Diabetes is a chronic illness, you qualify to 5 x Medicare rebated visits on the Enhanced Primary Care Program.

Ask your Doctor about raising a care plan for you and referring you to us so we can do a full annual Diabetes Assessment and provide your GP with a report.

So, talk to the friendly team at Croydon Total Footcare—we know all about your feet.