Why Is Diabetic Foot Care So Important?

The high blood sugar levels from diabetes cause substantial damage throughout your body, especially your feet.

High blood sugars damage the blood vessels in your feet and legs, weakening circulation. And since your feet are so far from your heart, they already have lower circulation than most other areas of your body. 

But that’s not all!

Poor circulation can also cause nerves to become damaged, sometimes irreversibly. This is a condition known as peripheral neuropathy.

Neuropathy can be painful and cause loss of sensation at the same time. The feeling of burning or tingling in the legs and feet are common, early symptoms. But once nerve damage has become severe, patients will often lose feeling in those areas altogether.

So what does this all mean?

Simply put, weak circulation means your immune system is slower and less effective. Infections and injuries are far more serious, since it’s more difficult for your body to heal them. And what might otherwise be a simple problem, suddenly becomes a high risk for serious complications.

That’s why you need to stay on top of diabetic foot care, check for potential problems and treat them long before they deteriorate into wounds (or worse).

dIf you have diabetes, check your feet daily! Noticing symptoms of diabetic foot complications early will enable you to get the treatment necessary to prevent ulcers and amputations.

According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 60 percent of non-traumatic amputations (not resulting from injury) in the feet and legs are due to diabetic complications. Sadly, most of these could have been prevented with proper diabetic foot care!

A comprehensive diabetic foot care plan will almost always involve both professional and home care. Dr. Lisa Brandy and our staff at Trinity Foot Center will carefully examine your lower limbs to see how much your feet are already affected by diabetes. From there, we can begin treating any problems that are developing.

Most importantly, our staff can help you begin your own diabetic foot care at home. The time and effort you invest in your feet every single day makes a huge difference for keeping your lower limbs healthy with diabetes.

At-home Diabetic foot care includes:

• Checking your feet daily. Take time to inspect your lower limbs for changes or small injuries, and contact us right away if you find anything.
• Maintaining great hygiene. Wash your feet every day with mild soaps and warm water, and thoroughly dry those areas between the toes.
• Wearing good shoes and custom insoles. Choose shoes that support your feet without squeezing or rubbing them, and get fitted for custom orthotics to offload pressure points in feet.
• Keeping your toenails trimmed properly. Avoid rounding your nails, and do not trim them too short or leave them too long.
• Staying generally healthy. Exercise regularly, though you may need to stick to low-impact activities that won’t damage your lower limbs (and be sure to protect your feet beforehand).
• Controlling your diabetes. Stick to a healthy diet and make sure your blood sugar levels are always checked.

The bottom line here is:

If you have diabetes, excellent diabetic foot care is not an option – it’s a necessity so you can live a healthy life.

Don’t Wait to Get the Help You Need

Invest in the health of your lower limbs before serious problems arise. Waiting only puts you at risk for life-threatening problems. So let Dr. Brandy help you establish the best diabetic foot care so you can stay active for as long as possible.

Call our Trinity Foot Center office at (972) 293-9650 to make an appointment today, or simply fill out our online contact form to have a member of our staff reach out to you.