Diabetes and Your Feet

Thank you for reading this month’s blog: Diabetes and Your Feet.

What is it?

Diabetes and Your Feet Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down into sugar (also called glucose) and released into our bloodstream. When your blood sugar goes up, it signals your pancreas to release insulin. If your body is not producing enough insulin, high levels of sugar stay in the blood.

High blood glucose levels can damage your blood vessels and thereby circulation to your feet and legs, due to less blood getting to your skin, muscles and tissues. It can also cause damage to the nerve system in your body by stopping important messages to and from your brain. The most commonly affected nerves are the long ones – those that reach all the way down to your legs and feet. Nerve damage is called neuropathy. Diabetes can also affect your eyes and kidneys.

Why do I need to see a podiatrist?

Any injury or hard skin has the potential to develop into something more serious if you have diabetes. When the skin is damaged, it may not heal so easily and sometimes this can cause an ulcer to form on your foot. Additionally, if you have lost feeling in your feet then it is possible that you may unknowingly damage your feet. You may stand on sharp objects like a nail, piercing the skin even down to the bone without realising it. If not noticed and not treated appropriately this can have potentially serious consequences and could lead to an amputation. It is very likely to avoid such an outcome, if you seek expert advice from your multidisciplinary foot care team.

Another change that can occur is reduced blood flow to your feet. Diabetes may also affect your ability to heal and reduce your natural ability to fight bacteria. Consequently, you should take particular care of any scratches, cuts or blisters on your feet.

How do I prevent foot complications? – Diabetes and Your Feet

Preventing foot problems involves a few easy steps:

Manage your diabetes well by controlling blood glucose levels, along with cholesterol and blood pressure, and having a healthy active lifestyle
Avoid smoking
Always check your feet every day
Clean and dress any cuts, scratches or wounds
Avoid walking around barefoot to prevent potential injury
Always wear shoes that fit properly
Never sit with your feet too close to a fire or a hot radiator
Avoid using corn plasters as the acid can burn your feet
See a HCPC Registered Podiatrist regularly in order to have the hard skin removed and your nails cut professionally

Always…

Have your feet also checked regularly by a healthcare professional (podiatrist, nurse or doctor) and at the very least once a year at their annual review. However, if you are at increased risk of complications, these inspections need to be done more frequently.

What can a Podiatrist do for me?

If you have Diabetes the Podiatrist will normally check both the blood supply to your feet and any evidence of loss of sensation in your feet.

Blood supply will be checked by looking at the colour of the skin, quality, texture, temperature as well as checking the pulses in the feet with their fingers or a small hand-held scanner (called a Doppler). They may also ask questions about certain kinds of pains in your feet and legs.

Sensation will most commonly be checked with a monofilament and tuning fork. The monofilament is a plastic probe that is designed to buckle at a given pressure and is a good indicator for loss of feeling.

The podiatrist will also be looking for any foot deformity or signs of excessive loading that may warrant either footwear advice or in some cases an insole. They can also trim your nails, reduce the hard skin and offer advice on how to best care for your feet.

When should I see a podiatrist? – Diabetes and Your Feet

In many cases seeing a podiatrist, a nurse or your GP promptly can alleviate symptoms and prevent serious complications, such as amputations. Your podiatrist will recommend a return period according to the state of your feet and/or risk status. Most people visit a podiatrist every 6-8 weeks.

If you notice any of the following, please get in touch:

Breaks in the skin, opens sores/blisters or a discharge
Any swelling in your feet or legs and/or an unusual odour
Hard skin (callus)
Cramp in your calves
Any pain during walking or wearing shoes
Tingling sensation or pins and needles
Skin colour changes (redder, bluer, paler, blacker) over part or all of the foot
Part or all of your foot feels much hotter or colder than usual
Anything else that has not been there before.

To talk to a podiatrist (also known as a chiropodist) about the options available regarding treatment, you can contact an NHS podiatrist or a private practice podiatrist. In both cases, always ensure that any practitioners you visit are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and describe themselves as a podiatrist (or chiropodist).

At Medipod Clinics we are experienced in managing foot problems related to Diabetes. As well as keeping up to date with the latest research and new treatments, we always try to give you the information and tools you need to keep your feet healthy.

If you are experiencing any discomfort in your feet, we are more than happy to help. Give us a call today on 01455 246100 to chat through your needs.

We also offer footwear advice, ingrown toenail surgery and verruca treatments. With our expertise and experience, you will have full peace of mind when it comes to your foot health.

For more information about our range of treatments, please contact us on 01455 246100. We would love to help you with any foot health issues you may have.

Thank you for reading.

Faye Vogiatzoglou
http://medipodclinics.com/

Further information and useful contacts
For more detailed and comprehensive information about Diabetes and foot care generally, please consult the websites below:
• www.footindiabetes.org
• www.diabetes.org.uk
• www.patient.co.uk
• www.nhs.uk
• www.nice.org.uk