Dr Viswanath is one of the Best Diabetes Foot Care Specialists in Bangalore & has 20+ years of experience. He practices at Raghav multi-speciality clinic in HSR Layout & Manipal Hospital Sarjapur Road, Bangalore.
If you have diabetes, having too much glucose in your blood for a long time can cause some serious complications, including foot problems.
How Can Diabetes Affect My Feet?
Diabetes can cause two problems that can affect your feet:
Diabetic neuropathy
Uncontrolled diabetes can damage your nerves. If you have damaged
nerves in your legs and feet, you might not feel heat, cold, or pain
there. This lack of feeling is called "sensory diabetic neuropathy." If you
do not feel a cut or sore on your foot because of neuropathy, the cut
could get worse and become infected. The muscles of your foot may not
work properly because nerves to the muscles are damaged. This could
cause your foot to not align properly and create too much pressure on
one part of your foot.
Peripheral vascular disease.
Diabetes also affects the flow of blood. Without good blood flow, it takes
longer for a sore or cut to heal. Poor blood flow in the arms and legs is
called "peripheral vascular disease.
What Are Some Common Foot Problems With Diabetes?
Fungal infection of nails.
Corns.
- Blisters.
- Bunions.
- Dry skin.
- Diabetic ulcers.
- Hammertoes.
- Ingrown toenails.
- Plantar warts.
Tips for Diabetic Foot Care
Proper foot care can prevent these common foot problems or treat them
before they cause serious complications. Here are some tips for
good foot care:
- Take care of yourself and your diabetes. Follow your doctor's
advice regarding nutrition, exercise, and medication. Keep
your blood sugar level within the range recommended by your
doctor.
- Wash your feet in warm water every day, using a mild soap. Test
the temperature of the water with your elbow because nerve
damage can affect sensation in your hands, too. Do not soak your
feet. Dry your feet well, especially between your toes.
- Check your feet every day for sores, blisters, redness, calluses, or
any other problems. If you have poor blood flow, it is especially
important to check your feet daily.
- If the skin on your feet is dry, keep it moist by applying lotion after
you wash and dry your feet. Do not put lotion between your toes.
Your doctor can tell you which type of lotion is best.
- Gently smooth corns and calluses with an emery board or pumice
stone. Do this after your bath or shower, when your skin is soft.
Move the emery board in only one direction.
- Check your toenails once a week. Trim your toenails with a nail
clipper straight across. Do not round off the corners of toenails or
cut down on the sides of the nails. After clipping, smooth the
toenails with a nail file.
- Always wear closed-toed shoes or slippers. Do not wear sandals
and do not walk barefoot, even around the house.
- Always wear socks or stockings. Wear socks or stockings that fit
your feet well and have soft elastic.
- Wear shoes that fit well. Buy shoes made of canvas or leather and
break them in slowly. Extra wide shoes are also available in
specialty stores that will allow for more room for the foot if you
have a foot deformity.
- Always check the inside of shoes to make sure that no
objects are left inside.
- Protect your feet from heat and cold. Wear shoes at the
beach or on hot pavement. Wear socks at night if your feet get
cold.
- Keep the blood flowing to your feet. Put your feet up when
sitting, wiggle your toes and move your ankles several times a
day, and don't cross your legs for long periods.
- If you smoke, stop. Smoking can make problems with blood
flow worse.
- If you have a foot problem that gets worse or won't heal,
contact your doctor.
- Make sure your diabetes doctor checks your feet during each
checkup. Get a thorough foot exam once a year.
- See your podiatrist (a foot doctor) every 2 to 3 months for
checkups, even if you don't have any foot problems.
Signs of Diabetic Foot Problems
If you have diabetes, contact your doctor if you have any of these
problems:
- Changes in skin color
- Changes in skin temperature
- Swelling in the foot or ankle
- Pain in the legs
- Open sores on the feet that are slow to heal or are draining
- Ingrown toenails or toenails infected with fungus
- Corns or calluses
- Dry cracks in the skin, especially around the heel
- Foot odor that is unusual or won't go away
Complications of Diabetic Foot Problems
- Skin and bone infections.
- Abscess.
- Gangrene.
- Deformities.
- Charcot foot.
- Amputation.
- Treating diabetic foot ulcers
- Off loading
Your doctor may recommend wearing certain items to protect your feet:
- shoes designed for people with diabetes
- casts
- foot braces
- compression wraps
- shoe inserts to prevent corns and calluses
medication
surgical procedure-debridment, Amputation
Book an Appointment Now with the Best Diabetes Foot Care Specialist Dr Viswanath.S in Bangalore at the Manipal Hospital Sarjapur Road and Raghav’s medical and dental multispeciality clinic HSR Layout Bangalore.