
Choosing Proper Footwear With Diabetes | HealthCentral
Allen Croat said if he had only purchased the proper shoes when first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 17 years ago, he might have been spared having two toes amputated.
Ten years ago, Croat, 63, had the big toe on his right foot amputated. In December 2016, Croat had the second toe on his right foot severed. He relies on a cane to walk and custom inserts to protect his gnarled feet.
It all started when he was walking barefoot in the house and stubbed his toe. It was a lesson learned the hard way.
Your feet are the most important aspect of your life, Croat said in a telephone interview with HealthCentral. You only get one set. If I had known then what I know now, I would have worn diabetic shoes immediately.
He is one of thousands who have lost limbs and/or digits due to diabetes. In 2010 alone, about 73,000 diabetics, ages 20 or older, underwent lower-limb amputations, according to the American Diabetes Association .
Croat, who lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is speaking out to help educate other diabetics on the importance of choosing the appropriate shoes, sooner than later after being diagnosed.
An estimated 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year, according to the American Diabetes Association .
One of the biggest casualties of diabetes is the feet, Roy H. Lidtke , D.P.M., said in a telephone interview with HealthCentral. Diabetes can impede both circulation and cause nerve damage in the feet. Poor circulation can cause wounds, such as sores and blisters, to heal more slowly, increasing the risk that the feet or digits will become infect
Continue
reading