Tingling, burning, or pain in your feet. Loss of sense of touch or ability to feel heat or cold very well. A change in the shape of your feet over time. Loss of hair on your toes, feet, and lower legs.
When you have diabetes, high glucose levels in the blood can damage nerves and blood vessels. Because the nerves and blood vessels supplying the feet are so long and delicate, the feet — and especially the toes — often get affected first.
The nerve damage, called diabetic neuropathy, can cause numbness, tingling, pain, or a loss of feeling in your feet. If you can't feel pain, you may not know when you have a cut, blister, or ulcer (open sore) on your foot.
Although rare, nerve damage from diabetes can lead to changes in the shape of your feet, such as Charcot's foot. Charcot's foot may start with redness, warmth, and swelling. Later, bones in your feet and toes can shift or break, which can cause your feet to have an odd shape, such as a “rocker bottom.”
But that doesn't mean abdominal weight gain should be ignored. It can be an early sign of so-called "diabetic belly," a build-up of visceral fat in your abdomen which may be a symptom of type 2 diabetes and can increase your chances of developing other serious medical conditions.
People with diabetes can easily get wounds on their feet. Improper cutting or care of toenails and feet is the leading cause that could lead to toe finger and foot amputation.
The toenails can turn a yellow color for a number of different reasons when it is related to diabetes. Typically, a diabetic's toenails might turn yellow due to the breakdown of sugar.
If you have nerve damage in your feet, avoid repetitive, weight-bearing exercises, such as jogging, prolonged walking, and step aerobics. Repeated stress on feet that are affected by neuropathy can lead to ulcers, fractures, and joint problems. Choose exercises that do not put stress on your feet, such as: Swimming.
What does diabetes itching feel like? If you have diabetes, itching can be intense. It's an irritating feeling that makes it hard not to scratch, but scratching can make the itch worse. You can itch anywhere, but if you have nerve damage (neuropathy) associated with diabetes, your lower legs may itch.
Gastrointestinal symptoms occur commonly in people with diabetes, and include gastro-esophageal reflux, bloating, nausea, constipation, diarrhea and fecal incontinence.
Genital itching in either sex is an irritating problem that can simply be caused by allergies and skin irritations, or by more serious disorders and diseases such as diabetes.
Tingling or numbness: Poor blood circulation and nerve damage can cause tingling, numbness or pain in your hands and feet. Dark skin patches: Diabetes can cause dark, velvety patches of skin in the folds of your neck, armpits or groin due to an excess of insulin in the blood.
Many people have type 2 diabetes without realising. This is because symptoms do not necessarily make you feel unwell. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include: peeing more than usual, particularly at night.
People with diabetes have a higher risk of tooth and gum problems. It is important to look after your oral health and control your blood glucose levels to prevent gum disease. Visit your dentist regularly for advice about how to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
“The nails will turn yellow and become brittle.” In your nails are showing a yellowish hue, you should have them checked out by a medical professional.
Though bananas are higher in carbs and sugars than some foods, they also contain fiber and resistant starch that slows down the digestion and release of sugar into your bloodstream. These qualities make bananas a healthy, go-to snack for people with diabetes.
Typically, epsom salt soaks are not recommended for people with diabetes. The primary reason is that such soaks can dry out the feet. When the skin is dry it is more vulnerable to cracking and chafing, which can lead to skin lesions and wounds, which if not properly attended to can lead to ulcerations.