Diabetes is associated with a number of complications. Diabetic foot is a term that describes a complication of diabetes caused by cardiovascular and neurological damage in the lower limbs. A reduction in sensation of the feet predisposes persons with diabetes to frequent injuries. Poor blood supply complicates the problem further since the healing of these wounds is significantly delayed and they develop into chronic ulcers. There are a number of things on diabetic foot care Scottsdale residents should know.
Since the root cause of the problem is elevated blood sugar, the starting point should be to ensure that sugar levels are maintained within the normal range. It is important that you take your oral hypoglycemic drugs or insulin as prescribed by your doctor. Monitor the blood glucose levels regularly to determine whether the drugs are effective. Appointments with your general practitioner or endocrinologist should be honored as they provide an opportunity to evaluate the progress from time to time.
You need to develop a habit of regularly inspecting your feet. This is because you may be unaware of injuries sustained due to the damage on your peripheral nervous system. The damage to this system reduces your perception of pain. When you identify these injuries early, you get an opportunity to intervene early and prevent progression of foot damage. A magnifying mirror is often necessary to view to lower part of the foot.
Once the foot becomes infected, there are a number of things that can be done medically. Oral antibiotics are usually effective in most cases. Admission to a wound care facility may be needed if the infections are widespread. Intravenous antibiotics can be administered in such a facility and other specialists can be brought on board to help with the management. In many cases, there is a need to remove (debride) dead tissues from the foot so as to facilitate faster healing.
Choose your shoes carefully. Improper shoes may exert pressure on various point on the feet and increase the chances of ulcer formation. To get recommendations on what would best apply in your case, you may need to seek the services of a foot doctor ( podiatrist). This is particularly import if you have preexisting foot conditions such as hammertoes, bunions or flat feet.
Keep your feet moistened at all times. This will help prevent excessive drying and cracking. As you do this, keep the spaces between the toes as dry as possible so as to keep away fungal infections. Socks greatly help in maintaining this moisture. The socks should be clean, dry and well fitting. If too, tight, there is a risk of compromised blood supply. Ensure that you change the socks daily.
There are a number of lifestyle changes that you can undertake. Regular exercise is among them. The exercise will help improve circulation in the lower limbs and will also lower sugar levels. Cessation of smoking is another important measure. This is because nicotine is one of the major components of tobacco. It has an inhibitory effect on wound healing and may increase the risk of non-healing ulcers.
Diabetic feet are a difficult condition to treat. For this reason, a lot of emphasis should be placed on prevention. There is a need to conduct self examination on a daily basis so as to identify any injuries early. Have your doctor examine the feet on a regular basis as well so that they can initiate treatment as soon as problems are identified.
Since the root cause of the problem is elevated blood sugar, the starting point should be to ensure that sugar levels are maintained within the normal range. It is important that you take your oral hypoglycemic drugs or insulin as prescribed by your doctor. Monitor the blood glucose levels regularly to determine whether the drugs are effective. Appointments with your general practitioner or endocrinologist should be honored as they provide an opportunity to evaluate the progress from time to time.
You need to develop a habit of regularly inspecting your feet. This is because you may be unaware of injuries sustained due to the damage on your peripheral nervous system. The damage to this system reduces your perception of pain. When you identify these injuries early, you get an opportunity to intervene early and prevent progression of foot damage. A magnifying mirror is often necessary to view to lower part of the foot.
Once the foot becomes infected, there are a number of things that can be done medically. Oral antibiotics are usually effective in most cases. Admission to a wound care facility may be needed if the infections are widespread. Intravenous antibiotics can be administered in such a facility and other specialists can be brought on board to help with the management. In many cases, there is a need to remove (debride) dead tissues from the foot so as to facilitate faster healing.
Choose your shoes carefully. Improper shoes may exert pressure on various point on the feet and increase the chances of ulcer formation. To get recommendations on what would best apply in your case, you may need to seek the services of a foot doctor ( podiatrist). This is particularly import if you have preexisting foot conditions such as hammertoes, bunions or flat feet.
Keep your feet moistened at all times. This will help prevent excessive drying and cracking. As you do this, keep the spaces between the toes as dry as possible so as to keep away fungal infections. Socks greatly help in maintaining this moisture. The socks should be clean, dry and well fitting. If too, tight, there is a risk of compromised blood supply. Ensure that you change the socks daily.
There are a number of lifestyle changes that you can undertake. Regular exercise is among them. The exercise will help improve circulation in the lower limbs and will also lower sugar levels. Cessation of smoking is another important measure. This is because nicotine is one of the major components of tobacco. It has an inhibitory effect on wound healing and may increase the risk of non-healing ulcers.
Diabetic feet are a difficult condition to treat. For this reason, a lot of emphasis should be placed on prevention. There is a need to conduct self examination on a daily basis so as to identify any injuries early. Have your doctor examine the feet on a regular basis as well so that they can initiate treatment as soon as problems are identified.
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