Diabetes from Chicago Health SMB Brands on Vimeo.
What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is the inability to manufacture or properly use insulin, and it impairs the body’s ability to convert sugars, starches, and other foods into energy. The long-term effects of elevated blood sugar (hyperglycemia) can lead to serious damage to the eyes, heart, kidney, nerves, and feet. Diabetes affects the lives of nearly 30 million people in the United States and another 84 million people have prediabetes, according to the CDC.
While there is no cure for diabetes, there is hope. With proper diet, exercise, medical care, and careful management at home, a person with diabetes can avoid the most serious complications and enjoy a full and active life. Today’s podiatrist plays a key role in helping patients manage diabetes successfully and avoid foot-related complications.
Symptoms
Diabetes warning signs involving the feet and ankles include the following:
- Skin color changes
- Swelling of the foot or ankle
- Numbness in the feet or toes
- Pain in the legs
- Open sores on the feet that are slow to heal
- Ingrown and fungal toenails
- Bleeding corns and calluses
- Dry cracks in the skin, especially around the heel
Visit Dr. Hoy
Because diabetes is a disease affecting many parts of the body, successful management requires a team approach. Today’s podiatrist is an integral part of the treatment team and has documented success in preventing amputations:
- More than 100,000 lower limbs are amputated annually due to complications from diabetes.
- After an amputation, the chance of another amputation within three to five years is as high as 50 percent.
- Including a podiatrist in your diabetes care can reduce the risk of lower limb amputation up to 85 percent and lowers the risk of hospitalization by 24 percent.
The keys to amputation prevention are early recognition and regular foot screenings performed by a podiatrist, the foot and ankle expert.
Take Action
If you have diabetes, follow these foot care tips:
- Inspect feet daily. Check your feet and toes every day for cuts, bruises, sores, or changes to the toenails, such as thickening or discoloration.
- Wear thick, soft socks. Avoid socks with seams, which could rub and cause blisters or other skin injuries.
- Exercise. Walking can keep weight down and improve circulation. Be sure to wear appropriate athletic shoes when exercising.
- Have new shoes properly measured and fitted. Foot size and shape may change over time. Shoes that fit properly are important to those with diabetes.
- Don’t go barefoot. Don’t go without shoes, even in your own home. The risk of cuts and infection is too great for those with diabetes.
- Never try to remove calluses, corns, or warts by yourself. Over-the-counter products can burn the skin and cause irreparable damage to the foot for people with diabetes.
- See Dr. Hoy. Regular checkups by a podiatrist—at least annually—are the best way to ensure that your feet remain healthy.
Additional information:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
High Blood Pressure from Chicago Health SMB Brands on Vimeo.
What Is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure is also known as hypertension. Hypertension occurs when your blood pressure rises and stays above normal over a period of time.
Hypertension is often related to atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of plaque in blood vessels, often associated with an increase in your “bad” cholesterol. This condition can also lead to decreased circulation and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). People with decreased circulation in their legs and feet may develop ulcerations (open wounds on the skin) that can lead to amputations.
As a member of the health-care team, your podiatrist is also concerned about hypertension and vascular disease (heart and circulatory problems). Make sure you tell your podiatrist if you have high blood pressure and any medications that you may be taking for treatment.
Symptoms
Symptoms of poor circulation in the feet and legs may include:
- Cramping in the feet and legs, particularly with exercise
- Sores on the feet or legs
- Changes in color to the feet
- Changes in temperature to the feet
- Loss of hair on the feet and legs
Uncontrolled hypertension can also lead to heart disease, which may present as swelling in your feet and legs.
When to Visit a Podiatrist
If you experience any of the above symptoms, it is important to visit a podiatrist. And if you have been diagnosed with hypertension, it is important to tell your podiatrist, because medications that may be prescribed for a foot or ankle condition could interact with your blood pressure medications. Also, if you need to have foot or ankle surgery, it is important that your blood pressure is under control prior to any surgical procedures.
Diagnosis and Treatment
As part of your visit, your podiatrist may check your vital signs—height, weight, and blood pressure. Your podiatrist will conduct a careful examination to determine if there is lower than normal temperature in any of the extremities, absence of normal skin color, or diminished circulation in the feet. Your podiatrist may also ask you about increased or periodic swelling in the lower extremities.
If any abnormalities in your blood pressure are noted, your podiatrist will notify you and may refer you to your primary care physician for further evaluation and treatment.