Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood sugar is too high
Americans had diabetes in 2018, according to the CDC.
The underlying cause of diabetes varies by type. Regardless of the type of diabetes, diabetes can lead to excessive sugar in the blood, which in turn can cause serious health problems.
Uncontrolled diabetes can damage nerves and peripheral arteries.
Take a small cut for example. You might not feel any pain from the cut, but the cut could worsen and become infected. Without proper blood flow, the cut would take longer to heal, making you at risk of developing ulcers or gangrene.
Furthermore, the damage of the nerves of foot’s muscle may prevent those muscles from working properly. These issues could cause your foot to be misaligned and create too much pressure on one part of your foot, leading to deformities and ulcers. It’s important to seek immediate care if foot ulcers develop. An untreated ulcer that causes severe damage to tissues and bone may require amputation of a toe, foot or part of a leg.
The CDC US and National diabetes statistics 2020 report indicated that, in 2016, a total of 7.8 million hospital discharges were reported with diabetes as a listed diagnosis among US adults aged 18 years or older. These discharges included 130,000 for a lower-extremity amputation (5.6 per 1,000 adults with diabetes).
Ulcers are often the reason for hospitalization
What is a diabetic foot ulcer?
A diabetic foot ulcer is an open sore or wound that occurs in approximately 15% of patients with diabetes and is commonly located on the bottom of the foot.
Of those who develop a foot ulcer, 6% of the hospitalization are from infection and 14-24% are from other ulcer-related complications. 85% of diabetes-related amputations were the result of diabetic foot ulcer.
Tips for Diabetic Foot Care
Development of a foot ulcer is preventable. You can protect your feet with these simple foot care guidelines:
1.
Regular foot examination
Inspect your feet daily and get your feet checked during every health care visit. Visit your foot doctor every year (more often if you have nerve damage) for a complete exam, which should include checking for feeling and blood flow in your feet.
2.
Appropriate footwear
Choose your shoes wisely. Wear well-fitting, comfortable shoes to help keep minor foot problems – such as a corn, blister, or a callus – from turning into severe ones.
Always wear socks with shoes
Check inside shoes for foreign objects before wearing them
Avoid walking bare footed at all times
Use diabetic insoles or custom-made, full-contact insoles
3.
Patient education
Educate yourself about DM and its complications, specifically pertaining to diabetic foot care.
4.
Glycemic control
Glycemic control is the cornerstone of managing DM and is essential for the prevention of long-term diabetes complications.
5.
Seek Professional help early
Seeking professional advice and care, such as at diabetic foot center, is recommended. Delayed patient referrals to specialized diabetic foot clinics lead to a greater risk of adverse clinical outcomes.