Diabetes and Foot Health

Diabetes can negatively affect your physical health in numerous ways. For instance, those with diabetes experience a higher risk of developing various foot ailments.

Diabetes and Your Feet

A chronic disease caused by the body’s inability to produce enough or any insulin, resulting in abnormally high blood glucose levels, diabetes gradually takes a toll on your nerves. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 60 and 70 percent of individuals with the disease develop diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage, over time, and the nerves in feet and legs are commonly affected.

Because nerve damage can reduce the blood flow or cause you to lose feeling in your legs and feet, small cuts and sores have a higher risk of going unnoticed, getting infected and not healing properly. In some severe cases, the infection can lead to gangrene or foot ulcers and present the need to amputate your toe, foot or part of your leg, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Additionally, the nerve damage may change the shape of your feet in rare incidents.

You cannot entirely prevent diabetes from affecting your legs and feet, but through daily management and paying attention to abnormal sensations, you may detect issues early on, treat them and counter more serious complications.

As the CDC states, “some people with nerve damage have numbness, tingling or pain, but others have no symptoms.” A few irregularities or symptoms to watch out for include:

• A loss or decrease in your sense of touch;
• Pain, tingling or burning in your feet;
• Cramping in your legs and buttocks during physical activity;
• A change in the temperature or color of your feet;
• Sores, blisters, bruises, ingrown toenails, cuts or infected corns that won’t heal after a few days; and
• Dry, cracked skin on your feet

Anyone with diabetes can experience nerve damage in their feet, but your risk is increased by factors such as being overweight; being older than 40; smoking; having high blood pressure; and having high cholesterol.

You can prevent and manage diabetes-related foot ailments through at-home care and observation. Many of the habits and methods you use to manage diabetes — such as keeping your blood sugar in the target range, following a healthy dietary plan, taking prescribed medicines and not smoking — will help lower the likelihood of suffering nerve damage.

You also should practice good feet-specific habits. These include washing your feet daily with warm water, drying them completely and applying lotion or petroleum jelly to the tops and bottoms afterward. Do not rub lotion between your toes, but rather use talcum powder or cornstarch to reduce moisture. Wear shoes that fit well, and never go barefoot, even indoors, to avoid injury. Make sure to keep your toenails trimmed straight across and file any sharp edges. Equally important is the need to keep your blood flowing, so several times throughout the day you should massage your feet; wiggle your toes and rotate your ankles periodically while sitting down.

Have your feet checked at regular doctor's appointments, and visit a podiatrist annually for a more thorough exam, the CDC recommends. Your doctor can advise you on which activities — such as walking, swimming or riding a bike — you should engage in and which you should avoid.