Foot care is especially important for people who have diabetes. One of the many complications of diabetes is a foot issue. There are two ways your feet can be impacted. First, if diabetes affects your blood supply, wound healing can be slower. Also, the condition can lead to nerve damage, causing a loss of some feeling in your feet. With diabetes, even minor cuts or blisters can result in ulcers.
You can avoid foot issues if you take care of your feet and act right away if you have an issue. You should see an expert in Bakersfield diabetic foot care at least once every year to detect issues early and prevent complications.
Diabetes and Circulation
Poor blood circulation can impact the supply of blood to your feet, resulting in cuts and sores not healing. You will know you have poor circulation to your feet if you experience back leg cramps or pain when you walk. Circulation issues can occur when your arteries have hardened or narrowed because of blockage. They can result from high blood fat, smoking, and high blood glucose levels.
If you have diabetes, you can improve circulation by controlling your blood fat levels, maintaining a normal level of blood glucose, avoiding smoking, and exercising every day.
Risk Factors for Foot Issues
Foot damage in people with diabetes can result from the loss of your ability to feel pain. Usually, this prevents you from seeking diabetes wound care that could prevent minor injuries from becoming worse. With a loss of pain, your motivation to heal and prevent an injury is reduced.
The loss of pain results from nerve damage or neuropathy in diabetic patients. If you lose feeling in your feet, you are at risk of injuries like ulcers and rubs from wearing tight shoes, painless ulcers after stepping on sharp objects without shoes, or burns after stepping into a very hot bath. Neuropathy does not cause these injuries; however, it lets them go unnoticed. Other risk factors for foot damage in diabetic patients include dry skin and vascular damage.
Caring for Your Feet
If you have diabetes, you can care for your feet by reducing damage from happening to the feet and checking them regularly for signs of damage. You can avoid this damage by not walking barefoot, keeping your feet clean, and wearing footwear that fits properly. If you already have some ulcers or sores on your feet, you should see a wound care specialist.
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