There are many things you need to manage when you are a diabetic patient—checking your blood sugar level, making a healthy balanced meal, finding time to be active, taking medicines, and going to doctor’s appointments. With all of that, checking on your feet might be the last thing on your mind, but daily foot care is one of the best ways to prevent foot complications.
Approximately half of those who are diagnosed with diabetes experience nerve damage. Nerve damage can occur everywhere on the body, but diabetic nerves in the legs and feet are the most commonly affected. You may lose feeling in your feet as a result of nerve injury.
What are the signs of diabetic feet?
Nerve damage combined with insufficient blood flow puts you at risk of developing a foot ulcer (a sore or wound) that can get infected and, if not treated promptly, can worsen and cause further harm. If your toe, foot, or a portion of your leg doesn’t get better with treatment, you may need to have it amputated (removed via surgery) to keep the infection from spreading and save your life.
You can discover problems early and fix them if you check your feet every day. Amputation risk is considerably reduced when treated early. If you have diabetes and are experiencing any of the issues listed below, you should immediately contact your doctor or health advisor. Diabetic feet can show the following symptoms:
- Skin color changes
- Skin temperature fluctuations
- Inflammation of the foot or ankle
- Leg discomfort
- Open sores on the feet that take a long time to heal or drain
- Toenails that have grown in or are infested with fungus
- Calluses or corns
- Dry skin cracks, particularly around the heel
- Foot odor that is unusual or persistent
Here are other symptoms that can be a sign of severe foot problems. If you experience some of these symptoms, call your doctor right away.
- DYoumay has leg pain or cramping in your buttocks, thighs, or calves. during physical exertion
- Your feet may tingle, burn, or hurt.
- Loss of touch or a diminished ability to detect heat or cold.
- The shape of your feet changes over time.
- Hair loss on the toes, foot, and lower legs.
- Your feet have cracked dry skin.
- The hue and temperature of your feet have changed.
- It has yellowed, thickened toenails.
- Fungus infections between your toes, such as athlete’s foot.
- A blister, sore, ulcer, infected corn, or ingrown toenail are all examples of skin conditions.
Nerve damage is a common complication of diabetes, and it can cause a person with diabetes to develop a diabetic foot. Nerve injury can cause numbness, tingling, or pain in some people, but it can also cause no symptoms. Damage to your nerves can also impair your capacity to detect pain, heat, or cold. Living without pain may sound appealing, but the pain is your body’s method of alerting you to a problem so you can take care of it. You may not detect a cut, blister, sore, or another ailment if you don’t have discomfort in your feet. If minor issues are not addressed promptly, they can become serious. If you sense something wrong with your feet, you should check them out and consult a foot specialist.
