Diabetes and Foot problems

Diabetes, also known as the silent killer, is a disease which occur due to the rise in the sugar levels in the blood. The body of a diabetic person is incapable of producing enough insulin or is not able to make optimum use of the available insulin. The function of insulin is to control the glucose levels in the body so that it is used properly by the cells as energy.

There are mainly two types of diabetes the first one being Type 1 diabetes where there is only little or no production of insulin by the pancreas and type 2 where the body produces insufficient insulin or it resists insulin.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Generally, the symptoms experienced by a diabetic patient are:

A frequent urge to urinate.
Unexplained weight loss.
Feeling thirsty all the time.
Being tired most of the time.
Experiencing slight blurriness in vision.

Why does Foot problems arise in a Diabetic patient?

People with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes are also known to suffer from problems in the legs and feet because of the damage caused to nerves and blood vessels. They are:

Peripheral artery disease(PAD) in which the arteries outside the heart and the brain become narrower leading to lesser oxygen supply to the feet and the lower portions of the leg. This may cause ulcers or even gangrene.
Peripheral neuropathy where there is damage to the peripheral nerves of the feet and legs leading to a lack of sensation or feeling even if injured.
Other problems caused by diabetes include corns, fungal infections, calluses, bunions. In-grown toe-nails or development of cracks in the skin of the feet mainly the heels.

Treatment of foot problems in a diabetic patient at the Best Internal Medicine Hospital in Delhi

If left untreated the problems in the feet may develop complications and in extreme cases lead even to amputation. The internal medicine specialty Delhi provides a treatment depends upon the severity of the problems.

Some of the methods are:

For problems such as corns in the feet, changes will have to be made in the footwear.
In the case of mild infections, antifungal medicine or antibiotics may be prescribed.
For certain problems, surgical debridement may be needed along with antibiotic treatment.
In severe problems like gangrene (tissue death) in which the condition is irreversible, treatment is given to prevent the gangrene from spreading or from converting into wet gangrene which occurs when dry gangrene is infected. It becomes necessary to remove the dead tissue by surgical means together with administering antibiotics to prevent infection. In extreme cases, the affected part may have to be amputated.
In mild conditions like bunions or hammertoes, only footwear needs to be corrected and surgery is only needed in severe cases.

Prevention of foot problems in diabetic people

For diabetic patients taking certain preventive measures like controlling the blood sugar levels, proper exercises, and changes in diet and lifestyle can help to avoid the development of foot problems.

Some of the preventive steps suggested by the best internal medicine hospital in Delhi are:

Keep checking the foot for signs of any problems like sores or infections and if found treat them immediately.
Always wear proper footwear even while indoors. Never walk barefoot and take care especially while walking on roads that may be hot.
Always wear shoes that are comfortable and not tight-fitting. It is better to wear closed-toe shoes.
Make it a practice to wash your feet always with warm water and dry it with a towel twice a day, particularly at the bed time.
Avoid dryness of feet by applying moisturizing lotion regularly especially, to heels.
Go for regular check up with the internal medicine specialty Delhi to get your feet examined.
Do not use any sharp instruments to cut corns or hardened skins. You can use a pumice stone for softening corns.

People with diabetes need to know that by taking care of their feet always and reporting to the doctor if they spot any problems, they can avoid foot problems that may otherwise unnecessarily lead to severe complications if ignored.

Spring Meadows Hospital provides the best internal medicine treatment and thus is regarded as the best internal medicine hospital in Delhi. You can always rely on the doctors here as they provide the best treatment to prevent foot problems along with the precautions.