Diabetes

1
Diabetes

• Foot Complications
• High blood glucose levels make it hard to fight
  infection

2
Neuropathy

• The diabetic nerve damage can lessen the ability
  to feel pain, heat and cold.
• Loss of feeling means not being able to feel a
  foot injury.
• A person might not notice a foot injury until
  the skin breaks down and becomes infected.
• It can also lead to change in the shape of the
  feet. Therapeutic shoes are recommended.

3
Skin Changes

• Diabetes can produce changes in the skin of the
  foot. The foot may become very dry and the skin
  my peel and crack.
• The nerves that control the oil and moisture no
  longer work.

4
Calluses

• Calluses occur more often and built up faster on
  the feet of people with diabetes
• Too much callus may mean that the person will
  need therapeutic shoes and inserts.
• Calluses, if not trimmed, get very thick, break
  down, and turn into ulcers ( open sores)

5
Foot Ulcers

• Ulcers occur most often on the ball of the foot
  or on the bottom of the big toe
• . Ulcers on the sides of the foot are usually due
  to poorly fitting shoes
• Neglecting ulcers can result in infections, which
  in turn can lead to loss of a limb.
• Walking on an ulcer can make it get larger and
  force the infection deeper into the foot.. A
  special shoe, brace or cast should be used to
  protect the limb.

6
Poor Circulation

• Poor circulation can make the foot less able to
  fight infection and to heal.
• Diabetes causes blood vessels of the foot and leg
  to narrow and harden.

7
Amputation

• People with diabetes are far more likely to have
  a foot or leg amputated than other people.
• Problems
• The artery disease reduces blood flow to
• the feet.
• The nerve disease reduces the sensation
• These problems make it easy to get ulcers
• and infections that may lead to amputation
• Most amputations are preventable with regular
  care and proper fotweat

8
Sources

• American Diabetes Association .org/type-2-diabetes/foot-complications.jsp