Johns Hopkins Health Alert
Are Your Feet at Risk?
If you have diabetes, it’s critically important to pay attention to your feet. Shoes that rub or pinch can cause foot ulcers, a major diabetic complication. In fact, one study says that ill-fitting shoes are the most common precipitator of foot ulcers. And if not detected and treated early, foot ulcers can become infected and even lead to amputation.
Selecting the right footwear if you have diabetes and high-risk feet involves more than picking out a pair that goes well with a dress or suit. Properly fitting, comfortable shoes are essential to prevent foot ulcers and protect the health of your feet.
"The biggest mistake that people with diabetes make with regard to their feet is that they are not fit properly for a pair of shoes," says Lee Sanders, D.P.M., Chief of Podiatry Services at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and coauthor of A Practical Manual of Diabetic Foot Care (Wiley-Blackwell). "The shoe has got to fit."
Of course, not everyone with diabetes is at high risk for foot ulcers. The main problem that determines foot ulcer risk is diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage). One indication that you may have neuropathy is numbness, tingling, or burning in your feet and toes, especially if you have had diabetes for a decade or more. The reason numbness puts you at such risk is that the nerves have a purpose: to warn you of danger. If those nerves aren't functioning properly, you will not know when you are developing a foot ulcer, have shoes that don't fit, or have even stepped on a tack!
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is another problem that can put our feet at high risk. The poor blood flow to the legs and feet in this condition slows the healing of any foot wound and increases the chance of infections. One symptom of PAD is a cramping pain in one or both calves when you walk (called claudication) that goes away within minutes when you stop walking.
The highest risk is suffering from both neuropathy and PAD, so find out from your healthcare provider whether you have one or both. But even if you do, all is not lost. With careful foot care, you can successfully prevent problems by following some important healthcare behaviors. The key is to prevent that first break in the skin and to treat it quickly if it happens.
For more information on foot care, see:
Posted in Diabetes on March 18, 2010
Reviewed January 2011
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
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