Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disease that affects up to 6% of the population (higher in the older age groups).
- Type of Diabetes
Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas acts like a key to let blood sugar into the cells in your body for use as energy. When diabetes is present, either the body produces less or no insulin (Type 1) or the body tissues are resistant to the effects of diabetes (Type 2). This results in higher levels of glucose in the blood, which can damage a whole range of body tissues and organs.
- The foot is especially affected by diabetes because:
Diabetes damages the nerves (damage can occur to the foot and not be detected because of lack of sensation) – this is called peripheral neuropathy.
-diabetes also affect the circulation. Poor circulation can affect the ability of the body to heal when damage occurs.
-those with diabetes are more prone to infection – the body’s processes that normally fight infection respond slower and often have trouble getting to infections due to the poor circulation.
- How Diabetes is the main cause of foot amputations ?
Charcot’s joints is another complication of diabetes in the foot, especially if peripheral neuropathy is present – the neuropathy cause a numbness (imagine spraining your ankle and not knowing you have done this. You will continue to walk on it – imagine the damage that this would do. This is what happens in a Charcot foot)
- Management
If you have diabetes, there are a lot of things you need to do to prevent the problems from developing in your feet:
1. Checking blood sugar levels
2. Wash your feet daily (use a mild soap and lukewarm water).
3. Inspect your foot daily (check sores, cuts, bruises, changes to the toenails; use a mirror to look under the foot if you can not see it).
5. Look after your feet (e.g. cut toenails often, do not try remove corns and calluses yourself, avoid walking barefoot
6. Fitting of footwear is very important.
7. Wear an orthotic that offloads pressure on your feet.
8. See your doctor, at least annually.
Custom made insoles are designed to give extra comfort and relieve foot pain, Indicated for diabetic patients with neuropathic foot, corns, callus and patient who are prone to get wounds on the plantar surface.
Also It provides targeted offloading on the pressure sensitive areas or uniform weight bearing over the plantar surfaces.
Diabetic Neuropathic Foot Before
Diabetic Neuropathic Foot after
