Dr. Madhuri Mehta, DPM, is an experienced diabetic foot care expert known for her proven treatments, experience and caring attitude. Call us now to schedule an appointment for any Diabetic Foot Care related issues.
Some diseases can affect multiple parts of the body, including areas that may seem unrelated at first. Modern medicine helps identify these conditions through symptoms, testing, and careful evaluation. One example is diabetes affecting the feet.
So how does diabetes affect the feet and what is the connection?
What is Diabetes? This is a disease that causes low sensitivity to insulin or insufficient insulin production. We do know that Insulin is a very important hormone which is responsible for helping cells in the body to absorb sugar from the blood to use for energy.
Whenever this process does not work correctly, the sugar keeps circulating in the blood, thereby causing different health problems. High sugar levels staying in the blood for too long can damage many areas of the body, and the feet are not exempt.
Foot problems in diabetes
There are two major foot problems caused by diabetes. these problems can have similar symptoms
- Peripheral vascular disease
Diabetes causes changes in the blood vessels, even in the arteries. Peripheral vascular disease occurs when fatty deposits block vessels beyond the heart and brain.
When this happens, it tends to affect blood vessels leading to and from the extremities, such as the feet and hands, thereby reducing blood flow to those parts. Reduced blood flow can lead to pain, infection, and wounds that heal slowly.
A severe infection in a limb with poor blood flow may lead to amputation.
- Diabetic neuropathy
Diabetes in the body can cause nerve damage that leads to numbness in the feet. This makes it hard for people with diabetes to feel sensations in their feet. Over time, diabetes can also contribute to soreness, irritation, or infection in the feet.
What this means is that they may never notice when their shoes are rubbing and this lack of sensation can lead to an increased risk of blisters, cuts, and sores. If the patient is not treated quickly, ulcers and gangrene can develop.
Once the person develops gangrene, amputation is always the suggested solution.
Symptoms of diabetic foot disease
Foot symptoms may vary from individual to individual. however, the most common might include;
- numbness or tingling sensation
- a loss of feeling
- red streaks
- blisters or other wounds without pain
- skin discoloration and temperature changes
- staining on socks
- wounds with or without drainage
- painful tingling
If you have diabetes, live in NYC, and experience any of the following symptoms, do not panic that you may lose your feet to amputation. Visit us at our office and let us see how we can get you treated.