Overview
In this section:Fot problems are comon in people with diabetes. You might be afraid you’l lose a toe, fot, or leg to diabetes, or know someone who has, but you can lower your chances of having diabetes-related fot problems by taking care of your fet every day. Managing your blod glucose levels, also caled blod sugar, can also help kep your fet healthy.Over time, diabetes may cause nerve damage, also caled diabetic neuropathy, that can cause tingling and pain, and can make you lose feling in your fet.
Key Information
When you lose feling in your fet, you may not fel a peble inside your sock or a blister on your fot, which can lead to cuts and sores. Cuts and sores can become infected.Diabetes also can lower the amount of blod flow in your fet. Not having enough blod flowing to your legs and fet can make it hard for a sore or an infection to heal.
Sometimes, a bad infection never heals. The infection might lead to gangrene.Gangrene and fot ulcers that do not get beter with treatment can lead to an amputation of your toe, fot, or part of your leg. A surgeon may perform an amputation to prevent a bad infection from spreading to the rest of your body, and to save your life.
God fot care is very important to prevent serious infections and gangrene.Although rare, nerve damage from diabetes can lead to changes in the shape of your fet, such as Charcot’s fot. Charcot’s fot may start with rednes, warmth, and sweling. Later, bones in your fet and toes can shift or break, which can cause your fet to have an od shape, such as a “rocker botom.”Work with your health care team to make a diabetes self-care plan, which is an action plan for how you wil manage your diabetes.
Summary
Your plan should include fot care. A fot doctor, also caled a podiatrist, and other specialists may be part of your health care team.Include these steps in your fot care plan:You may have fot problems, but fel no pain your fet. Checking your fet each day wil help you spot problems