Contents:
Medical Video: Update on Diabetic Foot Infections -- Richard Oehler, MD
- Definition
What is diabetic foot?
People with diabetes can get a lot of different foot problems. Even ordinary problems can get worse and cause serious complications. Foot problems that most often occur when there is nerve damage, are called neuropathy.
Even though it can hurt, nerve damage in the legs due to diabetes can also reduce your ability to feel pain, heat, and cold. The loss of taste often means you feel nothing when you experience a foot injury. You can walk comfortably all day even though there are stones or pebbles on your feet that you don't feel. You can have boils and not feel them. You may not be aware of a foot injury until the skin is damaged and becomes infected.
Nerve damage can also cause deformation of your feet and toes.
What are the signs and symptoms?
Diabetic feet can cause tingling, pain (such as heat or sting), or weakness in the legs. This can also cause loss of feeling in the legs, so you can get hurt and not realize it. Poor blood flow or changes in the shape of the feet or toes can also cause problems.
- How to overcome
What should I do?
Treatment depends on the type of foot problem. For example, some problems such as thickening of the skin in the legs may require the use of corrective shoes, while others such as mild infections can be treated with antibiotics or antifungals. Other problems may need debridement and antibiotics. Gangrene, or tissue death, is irreversible, but treatment is available to prevent gangrene (often called dry gangrene) from spread or infection (dry gangrene becomes infected and develops into wet gangrene).
Surgical removal of dead tissue is usually needed, and antibiotics are given to prevent the development of life-threatening infections in dead tissue. In cases of serious gangrene, amputation may be needed.
Other types of foot problems can be eliminated by choosing the right shoes, sometimes with orthotic devices, and splints or wires. For some conditions such as hammertoes, bunions, and nails do not grow; surgery may be needed to correct a severe case.
People with neuropathy need to pay more attention to their feet. The nerve to the foot is the longest nerve in the body and is most often affected by neuropathy. Loss of feeling in the legs means that injuries or injuries may not be realized and can become ulcers or become infected. Circulatory problems also increase the risk of foot ulcers. Smoking increases the risk of foot problems and amputation. Health care providers may be able to provide assistance to stop smoking.
Foot care for diabetics can be done by:
- Clean your feet every day using warm water and mild soap. Avoid soaking the feet. A soft towel can be used to dry your feet and between your toes.
- Check your feet and toes every day for wounds, abrasions, redness, swelling, calluses, or other problems. Using a handheld mirror or floor mirror may help in checking the lower part of the foot, or other people can help examine your feet. Tell the doctor every time a problem is found.
- People who need help with foot care should consider making an appointment with a foot doctor, or commonly called podiatrist (podiatrist).
When do I have to see a doctor?
You should immediately see a doctor if:
- You see a wound on the skin of your foot, or an open wound
- The skin over the part or the entire leg changes color to red, blue, pale or dark
- You see swelling in your legs where there are boils or injuries.
- Prevention
Some diabetes-related foot problems can be prevented by undergoing vigilant steps to observe and treat your feet. Keep blood sugar levels under control (inside range recommended by a doctor), and follow diet recommendations and exercise training programs. This is the best way to prevent all complications of diabetes, including foot problems. In addition to keeping your diabetes under control, you can go through the following steps to treat your feet, such as:
- Use comfortable and closed footwear at all times. Special shoes for people who experience swelling of the thumb and changes in the shape of the foot are widely available if needed. Make sure there are no foreign objects trapped in the shoes that can hurt your feet.
- Don't walk with bare feet, even at home. Make sure your feet are not burned by not walking on the asphalt road during the summer.
- Always wash your feet with warm water and dry them after washing.
- Check your feet every day for any injuries or injuries.
- Use lotion for dry areas, especially heels, but don't use lotion between fingers. Do not use scissors or razors to thin or release thickening or calluses.
- Cut your nails upright thinly, don't cut shorter corners than the rest of the nail
- Make sure your doctor checks your feet at every check
- Stop smoking if you are a smoker. Smoking can increase the risk of atherosclerosis and reduced blood circulation to the legs.
