Diabetes is one of the most widespread diseases in today’s world. Diabetes clinics, all around the world are addressing hundreds of new diabetes patients each year and the number is rising at an alarming rate. Needless to say, having a timely diabetes treatment is quite crucial, as many of you must be aware that untreated (or poorly managed) diabetes can lead to many complications like damage to eyes, kidneys, skin, nerves along with causing cardiovascular conditions and hindrance in the natural healing process. Today, we are going to discuss one particular condition, the diabetic foot.

Diabetic foot is an umbrella term for the foot conditions that arise due to prolonged diabetes. Let’s list out some of the most common conditions related to the foot that is caused by diabetes.

Diabetic Neuropathy

This causes numbness and loss of sensation in the feet, particularly in the extremities. Eventually, it leads to nerve damage and makes the person unaware of having wounds, infections, irritation, blisters or sore in their feet. Often it happens, that people become unaware of the facts that they are wearing tight shoes or if the shoes are rubbing.

It left unaddressed for long, it leads towards having gangrene and ends up needing an amputation.

Peripheral Vascular Disease

Prolonged diabetes affects the structure and function of the blood vessels. In peripheral vascular disease, the fat starts to get decomposed on the blood vessels reaching hands and feet. As a result, the adequate blood supply to the feet gets hampered and results in pain and infections. If left unresolved, it too can lead to foot amputation in the future.

Athlete’s Foot

It is a fungal infection that leads to cracking of foot skin while making it red and itchy as well. If left untreated, germs can enter through the crack skin and spread infection. Thankfully, it can be easily treated with topical creams and oral medicines.

Foot Calluses

It is the hard skin build upon the underside of the foot. It often occurs due to uneven bodyweight distribution, poorly fitted footwear, prolonged diabetes or some underlying skin condition. Wearing footwear with padding and using a pumice stone to remove calluses regularly is a big help. However, one can consider taking medicine to address it effectively as well.

Foot Corn

It is a hard skin build-up either between toes or on a bony area of the underfoot. It may also happen due to uneven pressure distribution on the foot. It happens mostly on dry skin, due to friction between toes or because of the shoe. Using any sharp object to remove them forcefully is highly unadvised. Instead, proper medication is more useful for the same.

Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Diabetes makes the healing process quite slow, and any cut or injury in the foot can often lead to infection. Diabetic foot ulcers are the condition in which the skin breaks deep on the underfoot. It eventually scrapes out the flesh and if left untreated for long, it keeps on causing damage heavily to the foot.

In case you are suffering from diabetes for a long period and encountering some foot condition, get in touch with our expert diabetic foot specialist to get quality treatment and care.