Diabetes is a well-known health concern. It’s growing too – type 2 diabetes is one of the fastest growing conditions in the western world, and that’s thought to be due to increasingly bad diets that people have. The increased levels of fat and sugar are very bad for our blood and diabetes is the end result of this. Diabetes famously causes a number of serious health problems and many people worry a lot about it. It is common knowledge that diabetes puts you at risk of having other serious problems, but you may not know that it can be a real burden for your feet. Here is a breakdown of why diabetes can be bad for your feet.
One of the major problems with your feet when you have diabetes is called diabetic neuropathy. What happens when you have this is that you’ll begin to feel a lack of sensation in your feet and your legs. This is often accompanied by a tingling or burning sensation as well as pain and completely numbness in the affected area. The cause of this problem is actually nerve damage that has come about due to the effects of uncontrolled diabetes. The problem is that it leads to a whole range of other issues with your feet such as the inability to move it properly and this can clearly lead to problems walking or doing anything that involves your feet.
There is also another serious condition of the feet that manifests itself due to diabetes. It is called peripheral vascular disease, and it causes poor blood flow that affects the ability of sores or cuts on your feet to heal themselves. Your feet are actually very prone to this kind of problem due to the general wear and tear that daily life places upon them – and unfortunately the lack of ability to heal puts you at very serious risk of gangrene and ulcers.
Apart from these very serious issues with your feet, it’s true that diabetes can be a tertiary cause of other problems with your feet. While these will not be a very dangerous problem on their own, with the threats of diabetes that can develop, these less serious issues become something that could potentially cause you to require surgery or even amputation.
One major issue that you may not think to worry about is athlete’s foot. Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that can cause itchiness and the break of skin, as we have already seen that diabetic neuropathy is a huge problem with regards to broken skin, it’s easy to see how athlete’s foot can become a very problematic condition.
Aside from conditions like athlete’s foot there are many other smaller problems that we usually wouldn’t worry about that can be a serious issue if you have diabetes and the foot conditions associated with it. Even things as seemingly meaningless as corns, hard skin, dry skin, bunions and blisters can develop into quite horrible concerns for your health.
So how can you avoid these problems and retain a healthy and happy lifestyle despite your diabetes? The first point is that you should always remember to take care of your healthy generally and stay in control of your diabetes. Problems associated with diabetes can only become a concern when you neglect your health. It’s also important that you take care of your feet and check them every day for any potential problems. If you find any then it is essential that you visit your doctor as soon as possible so that you can be prescribed a treatment that will be effective.