Diabetes and your feet-prevention of amputations

When it comes to your feet you can't be too careful.  Back in the day, it seemed like almost a promise that if you had diabetes you would lose your feet to amputation. This isn't the case anymore. Let's discuss amputation prevention. But first we need to consider neuropathy.
 Neuropathy is damage to the nerves. This can be somewhat reversible but a person will always have permanent damage caused by elevated prolonged blood sugar. The damaged nerves"miss-fire" causing symptoms of numbness, tingling, or over-sensitivity to the hands and feet.

 Interestingly, the nerves in the outer part of the body (also called peripheral neuropathy) such as the hands and feet are the first to be affected by neuropathy because they are the furthermost from the heart, therefore getting less blood flow.

 Numbness anywhere in the body can present a problem with safety.  Losing feeling to the parts of the body means your protective function now lost.

When a person has numbness due to neuropathy they cannot feel a cut, sore, or other injury to the foot. If you cannot feel a problem, likely nothing is done. When nothing is done, an infection can creep in. Infection can get out of control more easily with diabetes because of of slower healing of cuts and sores, elevated blood sugar and slower blood flow to the feet.

 In the end, an infection, or gangrene gets out of control and amputation is required. So foot care really starts with simple things like:

* Check your feet daily for cuts and sores.

* Take care of cuts and sores consistently until completely healed

* Have your feet checked by your health care provider

* Wear proper shoes--both indoors/outdoors
* Wear properly fitting shoes and socks

* As always...good blood sugar control

You cannot be too careful when it comes your feet