Diabetic Foot Care

How does diabetes affect my feet?

The most common complication of diabetes is diabetic peripheral neuropathy. This condition occurs when you have nerve damage due to high blood glucose, and it can have serious consequences for your feet and even your whole body.

Peripheral neuropathy can cause burning, pins-and-needles sensations, and numbness in your feet. Your peripheral nerves, those affected by peripheral neuropathy, also control blood vessels in the extremities. Peripheral nerve damage can trigger blood vessel damage, leaving you with insufficient circulation to your extremities.

Poor circulation and numbness can combine to cause particular issues for your feet. If you have a tiny laceration on your foot, but you don’t feel it due to numbness, it can soon turn into a major problem. Without the blood supply needed for healing, foot wounds can ulcerate.

More than 80% of foot amputations start with foot ulcers. But, with the right care from Dr. Simon Becker DPM, you can avoid ulcers and their complications.

What are the best diabetic foot care practices?

Wash and dry your feet each night, and keep your toenails short. Always cut your toenails straight, because a curved cut can lead to ingrown toenails.

Daily self-exams, in which you visually scan your feet and ankles, are very important. Even a small cut could lead to an ulcer, so it’s important to find skin wounds as soon as they happen. Any change in your feet could be serious. Calluses, corns, blisters, change in foot color, and any other changes require treatment at Dr. Simon Becker DPM.

Visit Dr. Simon Becker DPM for diabetic foot check-ups at least once a year, or on the schedule recommended by your podiatrist.

Of course, careful monitoring and treatment of the underlying condition, diabetes, is absolutely crucial for your foot and whole-body health. As a diabetes sufferer, you must manage your blood glucose carefully. Work with your medical doctor or endocrinologist to control your diabetes through diet, medication, or insulin.

How can a podiatrist help with diabetic foot care?

Your Dr. Simon Becker DPM podiatrist can prescribe custom orthotics, special diabetic footwear, and other devices to help you walk safely and confidently. If you have conditions like nerve entrapment as well, your podiatrist can help you relieve pressure on the nerves.

The latest diabetic peripheral neuropathy treatments focus on improving circulation and regenerating damaged nerves — which can potentially help you walk, exercise, sleep, and function better overall.

Your Dr. Simon Becker DPM podiatrist can also handle diabetic wound care, helping you heal wounds before they cause serious long-term damage.