Diabetes is a condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body is unable to use it properly. This is because the body’s method of converting glucose into energy is not working as it should.
How diabetes can affect your feet - Your feet are supplied with blood to keep them healthy. They also have a multitude of nerves that act as an emergency warning system. For example, if you have a stone in your shoe, your nerves will send a message to your brain to investigate.
However, if your diabetes is poorly controlled for a long period of time this may lead to:
- Nerve damage, or ‘peripheral neuropathy’, which impairs sensation to the feet; and/or
- Reduced blood supply, also know as ‘poor circulation’.
Nerve damage may mean that you no longer notice the stone in your shoe, due to loss of sensation to your feet. This could then lead to an injury you can’t feel and possibly infection.
If you have poor circulation, any injuries or infections to your feet (i.e. cuts, burns or scratches) will take longer to heal. This is due to less blood flowing into the arteries in your feet. Blood provides energy to working muscles and aids in healing any tissue damage.
Most foot problems for people who have diabetes occur when injuries - and often infections - go unnoticed and untreated, or when healing is delayed due to poor circulation.
Checking your feet at home
One of the most important things you can do to prevent problems with your feet is to introduce a regular footcare and checking routine into your daily life.
Each day you should examine all areas of the feet, including between the toes, underneath the soles and around the nails.
Look for:
- Any sign of bruising or swelling;
- Discolouration;
- Changes in shape; and
- Changes in temperature.
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