Diabetes is a chronic disease caused by high levels of sugar in your blood. It decreases your body's ability to fight infections, and it is especially harmful to your feet.
If your nervous system is damaged because of diabetes, you might not be able to feel your feet normally. Your body might not produce that right oil and sweat that lubricates the skin of your foot, and this can put unusual pressure on the skin, bones, and joints of your foot. As this continues and escalates, you can develop sores on your feet.
If you have diabetes, it's important to catch foot problems early or before they happen and get the right care.
Diabetes and Your Feet
When it comes to your feet, several risk factors can increase your chances of developing diabetic foot problems. It's important to make sure your shoes fit correctly if you are diabetic - poorly fitting shoes are one of the biggest causes of diabetic foot problems. Shoes that don't fit cause red or sore spots, blisters, corns, calluses, or consistent pain. If you have diabetes and flat feet, bunions, or hammertoes, you might need to ask your podiatrist for prescription shoes or orthotics to protect your feet.
Poorly controlled diabetes damages the nerves in your feet, which is called peripheral neuropathy. Normal nerves allow people to feel if their shoes are too tight or rubbing against their feet. But with diabetes, you might not feel if you get cuts, scrapes and blisters, and they could become worse quickly.
some things that the health of your feet:
- Poor circulation
- Trauma to the foot
- Infections
- Smoking
Diabetes can be extremely dangerous to your feet. You can avoid losing a toe, foot, or leg by following proper prevention techniques offered by your podiatrist.