It’s Diabetes Awareness Month: How to Keep Your Feet Safe
The number of patients who live with diabetes is growing in our country, with millions of cases remaining undiagnosed. Due to that, awareness is has become essential to preventing and managing this incapacitating disease. Because November is Diabetes Awareness Month, today Dr. Mark Thompson and Dr. Brandon Holloway of Amarillo Foot Specialists located in the Amarillo, TX panhandle are sharing their tips for keeping your diabetic feet safe.
Diabetes affects all the body’s organs, but the effects on the feet can make this condition even worse!
When constantly high blood sugars circulate throughout the body, it can cause changes to the nails, blood flow, and skin and can diminish the sensation in the feet. This causes patients to be more vulnerable to infections, deformities, and diabetic foot ulcers.
Some of the most common foot deformities include hammertoes, Charcot Neuroarthropathy, and bunions. The mix of nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy), a decreased ability to heal due to high blood sugars, and abnormal foot structure can result in ulcers, which can become infected and, in some cases, lead to amputation.
The good news is that all these complications mentioned can be prevented! Prevention begins with managing your blood sugar properly and having a great healthcare team that consists of a primary care physician, a podiatrist, and an endocrinologist.
Here are our top at-home care tips that you can start today.
Examine your feet daily.
Check your blood sugar frequently.
Never walk barefoot.
Make sure footwear fits appropriately.
If you notice increased pain, swelling, or redness in your feet, contact your podiatrist immediately or visit the emergency room.
Whether you have had diabetes for years or have recently been diagnosed, it is important that you visit a foot and ankle specialist. The physicians at Amarillo Foot Specialists are experts at treating all aspects of foot and ankle care and are educated in the field of diabetes.
We can provide information regarding the effects of diabetes on your feet and how to prevent infection. Many patients don’t seek treatment until an infection or ulcer has already advanced. Avoid diabetic foot complications by contacting the office of Dr. Mark Thompson and Dr. Brandon Holloway of Amarillo Foot Specialists located in Amarillo, TX, at (806) 322-3338 to schedule a consultation. You don’t suffer needlessly; contact us today!