Diabetic Foot Problems: Prevention Is Easier Than Treatment
Jul 18th, 2010 by GuestPoster
The combination of diabetes and foot problems is a serious one that needs to be addressed. Healing is severely limited when blood flow is impaired, which is one of the results of having high blood sugar. You may think that you have no choice but to suffer foot problems caused by diabetes when they come, but that does not have to be the case. You can make the choice to prevent diabetic foot problems from occurring by taking the steps necessary in order to prevent them.
Diabetes and foot problems taken together can result in serious complications, so it is best to prevent them before they occur. When it comes to effective prevention of diabetic foot problems, one of the most important steps is preventing the feet from being damaged in the first place. The feet of diabetics have difficulty healing and can be injured quite easily, so a logical first step is to minimize rubbing and chafing against the shoes and socks. These need to be minimized because they can lead to not only wounds, but unhealing ulcers and worse. The best way to prevent chafing is to wear seamless socks beneath your shoes whenever you are wearing it. The Jobst Sensifoot is an example of a line of Jobst compression socks, which are designed with this need in mind, as well as the need to improve circulation problems in the legs.
Another important component in preventing foot problems in diabetics is making sure that they are always clean. The feet are a natural magnet for infections, but the elevated blood sugar levels that are common to diabetics make those infections far more severe. The life and health of the patient is more important to a doctor than anything, and a very severe infection that could spread to the blood and potentially kill the patient can require the leg to be amputated in order to protect the patient. Though it is also important to make sure that the water is a comfortable temperature, frequent foot washing is one of the most important ways that you can prevent foot infections.
Diabetic neuropathy, or damage to the nerves of the feet that causes numbness, could very easily cause you to burn yourself without even knowing it. Great care must be taken when using any foot care devices that employ heat, from foot baths to hot water bottles.
Foot problems are very common among diabetics, especially those who have had the condition for a long time. Damage to the feet leads to a great many complications, so the best thing that a diabetic can do to prevent them is protect his feet. A lifetime of good foot health requires that a diabetic take special efforts to ensure proper foot care.
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