How does diabetes affect my feet?
Diabetes can narrow and harden blood vessels and lead to poor blood circulation, infections, and other complications. Diabetes also increases your risk of nerve damage.
Many of the complications associated with diabetes affect the feet. Diabetes can cause small blisters or wounds, numbness, and in some cases, infection severe enough to require amputation.
Proper foot care with a qualified foot and ankle specialist, like the physicians at Associated Podiatrists, P.C., can help you manage your diabetes and prevent many of these complications from developing.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
In some cases, you may not experience any noticeable symptoms from diabetes until the disease has progressed. Typically, however, early symptoms of diabetes include:
- Excessive hunger
- Fatigue
- Extreme thirst
- Excessive urination
- Dry mouth
- Itchy skin
- Blurred vision
- Weight fluctuations
- Delayed healing after an injury
- Amniotic fluid injections
- An increase in yeast infections (for women)
If left untreated, diabetes can be life-threatening and can make you more susceptible to other serious conditions, such as peripheral neuropathy, or nerve damage in your extremities. Foot complications are often a result of this nerve damage and result in weakness, pain, and tingling in your feet and limbs.
What are the benefits of diabetic foot care?
If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, there are a number of benefits to supplementing your healthcare with visits to a qualified podiatrist. The specialists at Associated Podiatrists, P.C. offer a range of treatments to help manage your diabetes, such as:
- Insulin injections
- Lifestyle changes, including nutrition, exercise, and weight loss
- Glucose monitoring
- Custom orthotics
- Diabetic socks and compression stockings
- A special cast or protective brace
- Medications, such as anti-inflammatories and steroids
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
- Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT)
Your podiatrist can also provide nail trimming and smoothing of corns and calluses. If necessary, they can surgically remove damaged, dead, or infected tissue.
If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes or suspect you have the disease, call Associated Podiatrists, P.C. or book an appointment online today.
