Protect Your Feet and Legs
Diabetes: Protect Your Feet and Legs
Foot and leg problems are a common diabetes complication, but taking the proper precautions can prevent up to half of all diabetes-related amputations.
By Lynn Yoffee
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
If you have diabetes, you are more likely to develop leg and foot problems than those without this disorder. Diabetes can destroy nerves and cause you to have poor circulation. Left unchecked, these complications can lead to amputation. But there's a lot that you can do to prevent amputation.
Diabetes: Causes of Limb Problems
First, it's important to understand what causes these diabetes complications.
Researchers are still uncovering the reasons, but they know that when you have high blood glucose levels, it can cause nerve damage called diabetic neuropathy. The damage can occur in any part of your body, but it is most common in your arms and legs, with the lower extremities affected first. This type of nerve damage is known as peripheral neuropathy. Some people have no symptoms, while others experience numbness, tingling, burning, sharp pain, cramps, extreme sensitivity when touched, and a loss of coordination and balance.
When you have peripheral neuropathy, small sores can go unnoticed because of the numbness — you simply don’t feel them. Left untreated, these little problems can become major infections that invade the bones. What’s more, poor circulation from diabetes means any ulcers and infections are harder to heal. If an infection invades your bones, then amputation could be required to save your life.
Here are some of the foot and leg problems related to diabetes that can lead to amputation if not treated promptly:
Blocked blood vessels can occur in your leg below the knee when there is poor circulation from diabetes. Vascular surgery is usually needed to unblock them and restore circulation, but it is not always successful.
Bunions and hammertoes may be caused by nerve damage. If they aren't treated, more ulcers (sores) can develop.
Calluses and corns can result from ill-fitting shoes. Treat these early or they can become ulcers.
Charcot foot is a foot deformity caused by neuropathy. An absence of pain could lead you to continue to walk on a broken bone, and then complications can develop.
Cracked, dried skin might not seem like a big deal, but the cracks can turn into ulcers that won't heal.
Nail problems such as ingrown toenails or fungal infections can also turn into ulcers.
Osteoporosis can develop due to neuropathy and poor circulation. Brittle bones are more apt to break easily.
More in reply....
Foot and leg problems are a common diabetes complication, but taking the proper precautions can prevent up to half of all diabetes-related amputations.
By Lynn Yoffee
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
If you have diabetes, you are more likely to develop leg and foot problems than those without this disorder. Diabetes can destroy nerves and cause you to have poor circulation. Left unchecked, these complications can lead to amputation. But there's a lot that you can do to prevent amputation.
Diabetes: Causes of Limb Problems
First, it's important to understand what causes these diabetes complications.
Researchers are still uncovering the reasons, but they know that when you have high blood glucose levels, it can cause nerve damage called diabetic neuropathy. The damage can occur in any part of your body, but it is most common in your arms and legs, with the lower extremities affected first. This type of nerve damage is known as peripheral neuropathy. Some people have no symptoms, while others experience numbness, tingling, burning, sharp pain, cramps, extreme sensitivity when touched, and a loss of coordination and balance.
When you have peripheral neuropathy, small sores can go unnoticed because of the numbness — you simply don’t feel them. Left untreated, these little problems can become major infections that invade the bones. What’s more, poor circulation from diabetes means any ulcers and infections are harder to heal. If an infection invades your bones, then amputation could be required to save your life.
Here are some of the foot and leg problems related to diabetes that can lead to amputation if not treated promptly:
Blocked blood vessels can occur in your leg below the knee when there is poor circulation from diabetes. Vascular surgery is usually needed to unblock them and restore circulation, but it is not always successful.
Bunions and hammertoes may be caused by nerve damage. If they aren't treated, more ulcers (sores) can develop.
Calluses and corns can result from ill-fitting shoes. Treat these early or they can become ulcers.
Charcot foot is a foot deformity caused by neuropathy. An absence of pain could lead you to continue to walk on a broken bone, and then complications can develop.
Cracked, dried skin might not seem like a big deal, but the cracks can turn into ulcers that won't heal.
Nail problems such as ingrown toenails or fungal infections can also turn into ulcers.
Osteoporosis can develop due to neuropathy and poor circulation. Brittle bones are more apt to break easily.
More in reply....
