Diabetes Feet:

   Foot problems can affect anyone with diabetes,

 especially if your diabetes is poorly

controlled. One in five people with diabetes

 enter hospital with diabetes feet. This is

 very significant as simple feet problems

can lead to foot or leg amputations. This is all

too common.

Caring for your feet:

   The thing about foot problems is they can

easily be avoided by a few simple precautions.

Neuropathy and Poor Circulation:

  Unfortunately for those with diabetes they

can develop a twofold problem. 1) Hardening

of the arteries. Caused by high blood glucose,

 high blood pressure, and high cholesterol,

hardening of the arteries can cause a lack of

blood to the feet. This causes them not to

heal properly from the simplest problems ,

 which would not bother most people.

   The other problem is a numbness of the

 feet called "Neuropathy". It is caused by

damage to the nerves of the feet from the

same factors as hardening of the arteries.

All people with diabetes have mild to severe

neuropathy, and it usually starts 7-10 years

after you first get the diabetes.

Complications, or Diabetes Feet: 

   The two combined are what cause the

problems. The numbness allows the feet to be

damaged, without you knowing it. And the

lack of blood supply allow a simple wound to

become a limb threatening problem.

Danger signs to watch for to avoid diabetes feet:

   You should check your feet everyday, and

 become aware of changes to them.

Look for: -sores and cuts that do not heal.

                -changes in the color of the skin

 of your feet, either bright red or a darkening    

of the foot color.

                -puffiness or swelling

                -difficulty in moving parts of the foot

                -skin that feels hot to the touch

                -any wound with puss

                -any wound that does not heal in 2 days

   It is very important to never ignore

pain in the legs and feet. Always see you Doctor if

you have any problems which do not heal

in 2 days, as the lack of blood supply makes it

hard for the feet to heal. This can result in

ulcers which can lead to amputation.

How to avoid Diabetes Feet:

  Foot care should be a regular routine for

 all people with diabetes, no matter what their

readings. As well your doctor or podiatrist

should check your feet at least once a year.

Some things you can do to help are:

   -never expose your feet to heat extremes,

 either hot or cold.

   -never wear shoes or socks which are

too tight, hoping they will stretch. This is a big

mistake.

   -check your feet daily for danger signs.

   -make sure you wash your feet everyday;

 be sure to dry them properly and add a small

coat of petroleum jelly or an unscented

moisturizer to the tops and bottoms of the foot,

but never between the toes. This will seal in

 the normal moisture you have in your feet

and keep them from drying out.

   -always cut your nails at least every 6 weeks.

 Cut them straight across following the

shape of the toe, and file the rough edges afterwards.

   -because of neuropathy, or the numbness

 in your feet, it is easy to damage your feet

without knowing it. For this reason you

should always wear appropriate footwear

outdoors and especially around the house.

 A slight wound to the foot can quickly turn

into an ulcer.

   -have your corns or calluses treated by

 a podiatrist.

.....................................................

  Remember, in spite of numbness

 and lack of blood supply

 you can still protect your feet by

following these few precautions.

 If you ever do run into any problems

 make sure

you see your doctor at once.