
How Does Diabetes Affect My Feet?
Diabetes, one of the most prevalent, uncontrolled and life threatening diseases, affects millions of Americans daily. It is important to know that diabetes, while it affects the entire body in different ways, has many signs and symptoms that appear in the legs and feet first. Good control of diabetes is the key to avoiding many of these risk factors associated with the disease.
One of the biggest and scariest risks of uncontrolled diabetes is amputation. There are many ways to control and overcome diabetes so that something as major as an amputation can be avoided.
Below are the three most important aspects of a diabetic foot examination. A thorough examination of these factors by your foot doctor can help prevent many minor and major foot problems.
Blood Flow
Uncontrolled diabetes affects blood flow in the legs and feet. It can cause blockages of small and large vessels leading to many different problems including pain, swelling and wounds that do not heal properly.
A very quick and simple test, where your physician simply feels the pulses of your foot and ankle, can provide a lot of important information. This test can tell whether a major artery is pumping, if it’s weak or not pumping at all- just by a simple touch. Other simple tests, if necessary, are also preformed with ultrasound and other diagnostic tools to look deeper into blood flow of the legs and feet.
Nerve Function
Peripheral neuropathy, or the abnormal function of nerves in the legs and feet, is also very common among diabetic patients. Due to the excess sugar in the body, the nerves start to act up. You c
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