For people with diabetes, the feet need special attention.
Good foot care is vital for living a healthy, high-quality life with diabetes. “Diabetes is complicated, and if you’re not keeping your blood glucose levels under control, it can lead to nerve damage and peripheral vascular disease,” explains Sarah Haller, DPM, a foot and ankle specialist at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWUH) Rahway. This most commonly affects the feet because the small vessels in the feet and toes are furthest from the heart.”
The good news: Foot problems with diabetes are preventable if you make foot care a regular part of your routine and keep diabetes well controlled.
How Diabetic Neuropathy Happens:
The most common type of nerve damage from diabetes is called diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Over extended periods of time, high levels of glucose and triglycerides in the blood result in nerve damage. The nerve damage leads to loss of sensation, which in turn means small cuts might be ignored and become seriously infected.
The first signs of nerve damage from diabetic neuropathy can be pain and numbness in the feet. It’s this loss of sensation that makes good foot care so important, because even a small cut can go unnoticed and eventually grow into a chronic infection that won’t heal.
Diabetic neuropathy can even lead to the development of gangrene and the need for amputation. “I’ve seen patients in the Wound Care Center who got blisters from a new pair of shoes, didn’t notice the pain, and eventually developed gangrene. It’s tremendously sad, since it’s all preventable,” Dr. Haller says.
The best way to avoid diabetic neuropathy is to control blood sugar levels, exercise and eat a diet rich in lean protein, fruits and vegetables. Once nerve damage occurs, it can’t be reversed, but controlled blood sugar and healthy habits can help prevent or slow further damage.
“Get checkups with a foot specialist every three months, eat a healthy diet and walk regularly to improve circulation,” says Dr. Haller. “Just getting up and moving can prevent so many illnesses.”
RWJUH Rahway Can Help
RWJUH Rahway offers advanced treatment in peripheral neuropathy, in which electrical stimulation promotes better blood circulation. To learn more, call 732.499.6012. To learn more about managing diabetes at RWJUH Rahway, call 732.499.6109 or visit www.rwjbh.org/rahwaydiabetes.