Key Highlights
- Diabetes is a condition that must be managed well. Your feet and skin can develop sores and infections.
- You should ensure that your feet are well cared for as wounds on the feet or legs that do not heal properly may necessitate amputation.
- There are signs on the feet that should alert you about raised blood sugar.
Diabetes is a condition that is related to the problem of the body's inability to respond well to insulin. What is Insulin? This is a hormone produced in the pancreas by special cells, called beta cells. The pancreas is a gland that is located below and behind the stomach. Insulin is secreted by the pancreas into the bloodstream and is needed to move blood sugar (glucose) into cells for storage and future use.
When you have type 2 diabetes, your fat, liver, and muscle cells do not respond correctly to insulin - a hormone produced in the pancreas to help move blood sugar (glucose) into cells - where it is stored and later used for energy.
This unsatisfactory response to insulin is called insulin resistance. As a result, blood sugar does not get into these cells to be stored for energy and instead builds up in the blood - causing a dangerous health condition called hyperglycaemia.
The body is unable to use glucose for energy. This leads to the symptoms of type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is not some condition that the body acquires overnight. It usually develops slowly over time. Since increased fat makes it harder for the body to use insulin the correct way, most people have their condition of obesity or excess weight issues to blame for the onset of the disease.
But that does not mean non-obese or normal-weight people do not get diabetes. But these are mostly people of older ages. Other factors that can cause Type 2 Diabetes are family history and genes, and lifestyle factors like low activity level, poor diet, and excess body weight around the waist.
People with diabetes are more likely than those without diabetes to have foot problems because this condition damages the nerves. Nerves play a big role in carrying the sensation of touch, pressure, pain, heat, or cold to the extremities of the body - including the feet. This nerve damage is called Diabetic Neuropathy.
Due to this nerve damage, a lot of times, people suffering from diabetes are unable to notice a foot injury until they have severe damage to the skin and tissue below, or until they suffer a case of severe infection.
Change in the shape of toes is a warning sign:
Diabetes type 2 can often slip under the radar until high blood sugar levels start wreaking havoc on the body. The change in the shape of your toes can be one signal you can catch - a sign that diabetes has caused nerve damage, says a report in Express.co.uk.
It cites a warning by Doctor Prash Vas, Consultant in Diabetes and Diabetes Food Medicine at London Bridge Hospital who says that diabetic neuropathy most often damages nerves in your legs and feet; a tell-tale sign of which can be observed on your toes. Clawing of toes can signal advanced nerve damage, warned Doctor Prash.
A Claw toe is a condition characterised by the toes bending into a shape similar to a claw. High blood sugar can also cause other damages to your feet. Diabetes can cause the wasting of the small muscles in the feet, build-up of skin over pressure points of the sole, and some individuals may experience balance issues, says the Express report.
Prone to injuries that go unnoticed until too late:
It does not just steal one's capacity to sense, Diabetes can also damage blood vessels. With hampered blood circulation - the farthest part of the foot is rendered most vulnerable. Due to diabetes that lowers immunity and healing power, even small sores or breaks in the skin may become deeper skin sores (ulcers).
Diabetics have to be very conscious of the state of their foot as many a time, the affected limb may need to be amputated if these skin ulcers do not heal or become larger, deeper, or infected.
Diabetic persons' foot care regime:
- Make it a bath-time routine every day. Check your feet for any nerve or blood vessel damage
- All minor infections must be treated immediately
- Avoid cracks from dryness of skins, use prescribed moisturisers on feet
- Your footwear should be suitable for your condition, seek the doctor's advice
- Quit smoking if you already haven't
- Keep your blood sugar under acceptable limits
- Acquire an appointment with the doctor at least twice a year to learn if you have nerve damage
- The doctor can also check if your feet have calluses, bunions or hammertoes and you must get them treated immediately if found.
Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.
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