Would you like to learn more about the importance of diabetic foot care from your New Haven, CT, podiatrist?
Diabetes is the lack of insulin, a substance produced from the pancreas gland, production or the body's inability to properly use insulin for everyday functions. There are many complications associated with diabetes like nerve damage (neuropathy) which leads to foot damage.
What's the importance of diabetic foot care?
Diabetic foot conditions develop because of poor circulation and neuropathy. Nerve damage causes insensitivity or makes it difficult to feel pain, heat, and cold, which may result in serious foot damage. Can you imagine getting cuts, scrapes, blisters, or pressure sores and not feeling any of it?
Nerves are what allow you to feel minor injuries and prevent more serious problems. Poor foot care may lead to foot complications that result in the development of ulcers that need amputations, or developing bunions that need surgical treatment.
Poor circulation also causes serious foot problems. Poor foot care and lifestyle choices may lead to arteries narrowing. This reduces oxygen reaching limbs and the lack of nutrition reaching feet, making you more susceptible to infections, dryness and there being difficulty in healing wounds.
Diabetic foot care involves educating yourself, risk assessment and preventative therapy. This decreases amputation rates by 45% to 85%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health Diabetes Information Clearinghouse.
Diabetic patients should receive annual comprehensive foot exams from your New Haven podiatrist, patients should inspect their feet daily, and avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits like smoking.
People normally form foot issues but proper diabetic foot care protects complications in the following foot problems:
- Ulcers
- Blisters
- Corns
- Calluses
- Dry Skin
How do you care for diabetic feet?
- Check feet everyday
- Wash feet everyday
- Moisturize feet
- Trim toenails when needed
- Wear shoes and socks at all times
Diabetic foot care is essential. Call Affiliated Foot and Ankle Surgeons in New Haven, CT today at (203) 397-0624 to schedule a consultation.