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DIABETIC FOOT
If you have diabetes, having too much glucose (aka sugar) 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:
- Sudden pain that 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.on the right side of the lower abdomen
- 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." If you have an infection that will not heal because of poor blood flow, you are at risk for developing ulcers or gangrene (the death of tissue due to a lack of blood).
What Are Some Common Foot Problems With Diabetes?
Anyone can get the foot problems listed below. For people with diabetes, however, these common foot problems can lead to infection and serious complications, such as amputation.
- Athlete's foot. Athlete's foot is a fungus that causes itching, redness, and cracking. Germs can enter through the cracks in your skin and cause an infection. Medicines that kill the fungus can treat athlete's foot. These medicines come in pills or creams.
- Fungal infection of nails. Nails that are infected with a fungus may become discolored (yellowish-brown or opaque), thick, and brittle and may separate from the rest of your nail. In some cases, your nail may crumble. The dark, moist, and warm environment of shoes can help a fungus grow. An injury to your nail can also lead to a fungal infection. Fungal nail infections are hard to treat. Medications applied to the nail are available, but they only help a small number of fungal nail problems. You may need prescription medicine that you take by mouth. Your doctor might also remove the damaged nail.
- Calluses. A callus is a buildup of hard skin, usually on the underside of the foot. Calluses are caused by an uneven distribution of weight. Calluses also can be caused by poorly fitting shoes or by a skin problem. It's normal to have some callus on your foot, so your doctor will decide if your callus is causing problems. If you have a callus, take care of it properly. After your bath or shower, use a pumice stone to gently remove the built-up tissue. Use cushioned pads and insoles in your shoes. Medications can soften calluses. DO NOT try to cut the callus or remove it with a sharp object.
- Corns. A corn is a buildup of hard skin near a bony area of a toe or between toes. Corns may happen because of pressure from shoes that rub against your toes or cause friction between your toes. Be sure to take care of them properly. After your bath or shower, use a pumice stone to gently remove the built-up tissue. Do not use over-the-counter remedies to dissolve corns. DO NOT try to cut the corn or remove it with a sharp object.
- Blisters. Blisters can form when your shoes rub the same spot on your foot. Wearing shoes that do not fit properly or wearing shoes without socks can cause blisters, which can become infected. When treating blisters, it's important not to "pop" them. The skin covering the blister helps protect it from infection. Use an antibacterial cream and clean, soft bandages to protect the skin and prevent infection.