Ever since the Civil War ended, diabetes, be it Type 1 or Type 2, has become the number one cause of losing a leg. Pardon the gallows humor, but this subject is a little morbid. However, there is hope of keeping your feet healthy, and walking around for the rest of your natural life. And it’s a lot more hope than you have of winning the lottery, so stay cool. Just be advised Type 2 diabetes will increase the likelihood of serious foot damage… and if that foot damage becomes dangerous enough, you will have to have part of your foot, your entire foot, or even a significant portion of your leg amputated.
Cuts and Abrasions on Diabetic’s Feet: Diabetes makes your arteries thinner, which can keep the nourishing blood from reaching your feet in a large enough supply to keep them healthy. If your feet aren’t healthy, even a tiny cut or abrasion (like a burst blister), can turn into a serious problem in a hurry. While most people sustain a cut and then have it heal, a diabetic’s feet are extremely sensitive to even the slightest injuries. And if a cut you sustain gets infected (which is all too easy), you can develop tissue death, or gangrene. That’s the same thing people get when they experience severe frostbite. But this is only one problem that diabetes, Type 1 or Type 2, causes for your feet.
Neuropathy: Diabetes also causes your nerves to become damaged. In fact, one of the early symptoms of diabetes is a tingling sensation in your feet. This damage, which is called neuropathy, can actually hinder your ability to feel an injury to your foot. So while most people would sustain a slight injury and then immediately clean it, you may not realize that a small wound is festering under your socks. And if this sounds disgusting, you’re right. It also happens to be dangerous to your health, because they amputate the leg to stop the gangrene from consuming your entire body and killing you. You need to be aware of the danger and vigilant enough that you’ll most likely be able to dodge it.
For starters:
- one, take every blister and cut seriously, as they may not heal at all
- secondly, keep your feet clean and dry
- third, stop doing things that will further reduce the blood flow to your feet… keep your weight under control, and stop smoking
You also need to be especially vigilant about ingrown toenails, so be certain to trim your toenails straight across. Be sure to avoid using any kind of chemicals, files and scissors on your feet.
High blood sugar levels: Your body’s defence system will not work as well as it should if your Type 2 diabetes is uncontrolled and the blood sugar level high. This will increase your susceptibility to infection. It is commonly believed when people with diabetes injure their feet, they will heal more slowly. This is certainly true for anyone who has had Type 2 diabetes for many years, and who is beginning to suffer from complications in the form of reduced circulation and loss of feeling in the feet and toes.