Living with Diabetes: 5 Foot Problems That Require Expert Attention

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, which is a great excuse for us to dive into some reminders about managing your foot health.

There’s a long laundry list of complications that are linked to diabetes, and foot health is near the top. Of the more than 38 million Americans who have diabetes, up to half will develop peripheral neuropathy, which places them at risk for foot and ankle ulcers that can become infected and lead to amputation.

The alarming chain of events we just outlined almost always starts with a seemingly minor issue in your foot, which is why Dr. John Schoppe and the team here at Advanced Ankle & Foot want to review a few diabetic foot issues that require your (and our) immediate attention.

How diabetes affects your feet

We kicked off this discussion with an alarming scenario that ended in amputation, and we want to walk this back a little bit and explain it better.

When you have diabetes, the glucose levels in your blood are too high because of a lack of insulin and insulin resistance (insulin is the hormone that delivers glucose to your cells). This higher-than-normal blood sugar level can damage your peripheral nerves, especially in places far from your heart, such as your lower legs, ankles, and feet.

As we mentioned, up to half of people with diabetes develop nerve damage in their lower limbs, and when your peripheral nerves malfunction, you may not feel when there’s a problem in your foot, allowing it to worsen due to lack of treatment.

And here’s where things can get very challenging for people with diabetes — the same blood sugar that damaged your nerves also damages your blood vessels, making it hard to deliver healing resources to the foot wound.

This is why half of diabetic foot ulcers become infected and 20% of these infections lead to lower limb amputation. And it all started with a minor foot wound.

Foot problems that should be treated immediately

The key to good diabetic foot care is to prevent the domino effect that can occur in your feet, which means taking action at the first signs of a problem. So, here are five situations in which we want you to make an appointment with us as soon as possible:

1. Pain, tingling, and numbness in your feet

Peripheral neuropathy is progressive, so it’s important to recognize the early signs of nerve damage in your feet, which include pain, numbness, and tingling. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, please make an appointment with us so we can halt and even reverse the nerve damage.

2. Wounds on your feet

If you have diabetes, even something as minor as a blister can open the door to much larger problems. So, if you have any wound or sore on your foot, please come see us for some expert wound care that’s designed to promote healing and head off infection.

3. Ingrown toenails

Ingrown toenails aren’t exactly medical emergencies, but they can be for people with diabetes. If you have an ingrown nail that breaks the skin, bacteria can get in and wreak havoc.

4. Toenail fungus

When you have diabetes, it’s important to stop on top of any type of infection, which includes fungal infections. If you have toenail fungus, please let us know so we can treat the infection and monitor the issue for further infections.

5. Cracked, dry skin

If your feet have developed tough, dry, and cracked skin, this can be problematic for people with diabetes. Any opening in your skin can be an entrance point for harmful bacteria.

Whether you have one of these foot issues or are concerned about a complication you don’t see on this list, please err on the side of caution and come see us. 

For top-notch diabetic foot care, please contact our office in Columbus, Georgia, to schedule an appointment.