Diabetic Foot Care

By >> L. Schneider

The cases of diabetes are increasing every day in the US and the trend seems to be accelerating. As more and more people develop this terrible disease the care of diabetic symptoms gets to be a bigger issue. One major concern of people with diabetes is foot pain and how to care for their feet. Over 70% of foot amputations in the US are directly related to diabetes causes, but you can do things to help ward of this result.

Diabetes tends to slow the normal circulation of blood in the extremities and in particular the feet. This pooling of fluids causes swelling and can be very painful. It also means the foot is not able to heal itself as well as it could before the onset of the disease. Thus foot care is a very important issue for diabetics.

Diabetic Foot Problems - Why the Proper Shoe Could Save Your Life

By >> Joshua Todd Smith

@ Why do you need Diabetic Shoes?

One of the most common side effects of diabetes is "peripheral neuropathy," which is basically damage to the peripheral nervous system. Peripheral nerves are the nerves that are routed from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, skin, internal organs, and glands. Peripheral neuropathy can impair the proper functioning of these nerves.

The most common symptoms of neuropathy include numbness and loss of feeling, usually in the feet and hands and can cause insensitivity or a loss of ability to feel pain, heat, and cold. Because a diabetic may not feel an injury to their feet, shoes that don't fit well can lead to minor cuts, scrapes, blisters, or pressure sores that they may not be aware of due to the insensitivity. If the minor injuries are undetected and untreated, they can lead to larger complications like ulceration and possibly even amputation.