Foot problems are common in people with diabetes. They can happen over time when high blood sugar damages the nerves and blood vessels in the feet. The nerve damage, called diabetic neuropathy, can cause numbness, tingling, pain, or a loss of feeling in your feet.
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.
Diabetes affects the blood vessels that supply your fingers and toes. When blood flow is cut off, tissue can die. Treatment is usually oxygen therapy or surgery to remove the affected area.
Warning Signs of Diabetic Foot Problems
Increase swelling of legs or feet. Change of skin color. Burning or tingling sensation. Lack of feeling in the feet.
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.
Unfortunately, there's no cure for diabetic neuropathy. But you can take steps to slow the progression of this disease. Your doctor will likely recommend pain medication to help alleviate nerve pain. For mild nerve pain, you can take over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Calluses occur more often and build up faster on the feet of people with diabetes. This is because there are high-pressure areas under the foot. Too much callus may mean that you will need therapeutic shoes and inserts. Calluses, if not trimmed, get very thick, break down, and turn into ulcers (open sores).
It occurs when you have elevated blood sugar for a long period. The most common type of diabetes-related neuropathy affects your legs and feet. There is no cure for diabetes-related neuropathy. You can manage nerve pain with medication, exercise and proper nutrition.
Diabetic neuropathy is common and can't be reversed. However, you can manage it through a variety of ways. These include: managing blood glucose levels.
Death. Severe diabetic foot problems can be life threatening, especially when an infection spreads. Having foot problems severe enough to require amputation is a major risk factor for death, even when a doctor amputates the foot to prevent the infection from spreading.
Diabetic patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) can have rest pain, claudication, and lower walking speed, which reduces their walking distance and their daily physical activity [83, 95]. Neuropathy can reduce leg symptoms and explains the absence of rest pain or claudication [1].
What causes diabetes-related foot conditions? Long-term high blood sugar can cause a type of nerve damage called diabetes-related neuropathy. Diabetes-related neuropathy can occur throughout the body, but most often in the legs and feet. The condition might make you lose feeling in your feet.
Diabetes Belly Fat is a sign that the body is failing. Stomach fat is linked to Heart failure in the diabetic. Lack of good insulin causes the body to store fat at the waist.
Myth: People with diabetes can't cut their own toenails
Not true: the general advice on toenail cutting applies to everyone. If you have diabetes you should keep your nails healthy by cutting them to the shape of the end of your toes.
Diabetic dermopathy appears as pink to red or tan to dark brown patches, and it is most frequently found on the lower legs. The patches are slightly scaly and are usually round or oval. Long-standing patches may become faintly indented (atrophic).
The only way you can find out if you or a loved one has diabetes is from blood tests that measure you blood glucose (sugar) levels. These can be arranged through your GP. A diagnosis of diabetes is always confirmed by laboratory results. You'll usually get the results of your blood test back in a few days.
A diabetic foot exam checks people with diabetes for these problems, which include infection, injury, and bone abnormalities. Nerve damage, known as neuropathy, and poor circulation (blood flow) are the most common causes of diabetic foot problems. Neuropathy can make your feet feel numb or tingly.
Common symptoms of diabetes: Urinating often. Feeling very thirsty. Feeling very hungry—even though you are eating.
Diabetic foot pain often feels different than other types of foot pain, such as that caused by tendonitis or plantar fasciitis. It tends to be a sharp, shooting pain rather than a dull ache. It can also be accompanied by: Numbness.
The antibacterial properties of aloe vera play a vital role in speeding up the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Thus, you can use aloe vera gel in natural form the ulcer, it will have cooling and soothing effects. You can even have one cup of aloe vera juice to boost overall health and immunity.
When diabetes damages the nerves going to your stomach and intestines, they may not be able to move food through normally. This causes constipation, but you can also get alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea, especially at night.