Diabetes Foot Specialist
Diabetes Foot Specialist in Andheri
Helping you walk with care
People with diabetes can develop many complications, including several foot problems. Even ordinary complaints can rapidly worsen and cause serious complications. If this happens to the feet, it might lead to deformity, disability or perhaps amputation.
It has been established that 15% of all diabetics will develop a serious foot problem at some point of time. The typical hospital stay for a patient with a diabetic foot is one month, and roughly 50% may have hospitalization for three months or more.
Lower limb amputations in diabetic patients account for 50% of all non-traumatic amputations. The speed of lower-limb amputations in patients with DM (DM) is 40 times above in people without DM. The incidence of amputation of the opposite foot within three years is additionally very high.
However, the great news is that with regular visits to the doctor and proper foot care, most of those problems are often prevented.
Why is that the foot is affected by Diabetes?
- Foot supports the body
- Absorbs impact of locomotion
- Normally, a person walks 10,000 steps daily
- In a 70 kg person, >120 plenty of pressure is borne by the feet per mile of walking
- Each step puts 150 lbs/sq. inch pressure on the soles
- You will, thus, realize the tremendous impact of forces and stress that our feet bear.
- Foot Foes
- Hot water, steam, sunburn, electric heating pads and predicament bottles
- Cold and frostbite
- Tight shoes, stockings, sandal/Hawaii chappals, straps or nails in shoes will cause pressure on the foot
- Chemicals and other strong medicinal applications
- Adhesive tape
- Wet, moist feet and webs
- Careless cutting of nails
- Vigorous rubbing/massage
- Bunions, calluses and corns
- Walking barefoot
- Tobacco intake in any form like cigarettes, beedis, gutka, etc
What Happens to The Feet in Diabetes?
Usually, in diabetes, the nerve get numb, so one often fails to note injury as there’s no pain felt. The sense of temperature is additionally lost; therefore, one won’t feel hot water or hot tiles while walking bare feet.
Feet get deformed, altering the mechanics of weight-bearing, thus, exposing the areas of the feet to abnormally high pressures, which end in the breakdown of the skin.
One sweats less in the feet; therefore, the foot skin becomes rough and dry, resulting in cracks, which permit bacteria to enter and cause infection.
The ability to fight infection is reduced in diabetes because the body’s defence mechanism is weakened. Wound healing mechanisms are also affected, resulting in prolonged time in healing of the injuries.
Adding to the issue is the fact that 20% of diabetes patients with foot problems have narrowed or blocked blood vessels in their feet. This further impairs the healing process as adequate blood flow is required for healing any wound.
You could be having diabetic foot problems if you get burning, shock-like, numbness or pricking sensation in your feet.
Taking care of your feet (Don’t)
- Apply heat to the feet
- Soak the feet in water for too long
- Cut your nails; only file them
- Wear ill-fitting shoes
- Walk barefoot
- Assume that sensation and circulation is normal in your feet
- Use strong or irrelevant medicines on your feet
- Permit calluses or corns to develop
- Perform ‘Bathroom Surgery’ on your feet
- Keep your feet too moist or too dry
- Checklist for right Shoes
- Shoes should cover and protect feet
- Avoid pointed, high heels shoes
- Know your foot size
- Go shoe shopping in the evening
- Buy half a size larger than the proper fit
- Break-in new shoes gradually to avoid blisters
- Use clean, dry seamless socks/ stockings of the correct size
- Wear comfortable footwear. Keep a separate pair of footwear for outdoor use.
What services are offered at our Diabetes and Wellness Clinic?
Appropriate evaluation by Dr. Shubhashree Patil – having vast experience in managing diabetic foot problems and, specifically, problems within the blood vessels of your legs. She is a highly qualified Endocrinologist with specific experience in managing these problems to tailor your diabetic medication as per your requirements.
What should I do if I am a diabetic with a foot problem?
- Clean the wound with dilute Savlon/Dettol
- Cover the wound with sterile gauze
- Check your blood glucose
- Make sure your affected foot doesn’t get wet. Use a bog of plastic to cover the foot
- Contact your doctor immediately and/or seek a consultation with the Diabetic Foot Clinic.
