According to WHO, in 2019, the world saw a death toll of 1.5 million caused directly by diabetes. If this does not scare you, you better know that diabetes is also a comorbidity factor for many. It encourages several other diseases in our bodies while making them worse. In 2020 alone, CDC recorded some 34.2 million people having the disease.
But why are we calculating this in the first place? Because you never know when you get one. Diabetes has pretty harmful effects on our bodies that can lead to death as well. However, the condition is manageable if you follow the rules. While diabetes attacks multiple organs of our body, our feet are among the first ones to get affected.
Therefore, today we will be talking about how podiatrists can help you with diabetes. We hope that by the end of this article at Live Enhanced, you will get a hold of the most important things related to the disease.
Who is a Podiatrist?
Well, before we start, many of you would want to know who a podiatrist is. Well, this is not some mainstream medical genre. So, it is quite common for you or for anyone to not know. A Podiatrist is a foot doctor. They have DPM after their names, meaning Doctor of Podiatric Medicine.
Podiatrists treat any kind of foot or leg problems through medicine. They study the problem and find a cure while following a proper diagnosis pattern. When you have a leg injury or some neuropathy disorder affecting your legs, podiatrists can manage your symptoms with their treatments.
While diabetes can have severe impacts on your legs, it is important to find a remedy. So, today we will be talking about the problems that diabetes may cause to your legs and how a podiatrist can help you with diabetes. Without further ado, let’s get started.
What Foot Problems Does Diabetes Cause?
Diabetes has many impacts on our physical health. It not only hampers our daily life but can also reduce our recovery processes. Starting from your heart to feet, diabetes can damage any part of your organ. So, here is a list of risk factors that people with diabetes have.
Nerve Damage
Nerve damage or neuropathy is one of the most significant effects of diabetes. When it happens to your feet, it can severely go wrong. You can either feel pain, numbness or feel nothing at all. So, what does neuropathy cause to your feet? And how severe is it for your foot health?
Nerve damage is a severe problem faced by millions worldwide. Nerves connect our brain with organs. When they start to damage, you can feel tingling pain or sensation in your feet. If it gets further serious, you will soon begin to feel nothing there. The condition can get even worse.
With no nerve functioning, any injury or small cut can simply go unnoticed. And this can provoke problems like foot ulcers and sores.
Foot Ulcers and Sores
A foot ulcer is another common problem of diabetes. These ulcers are often found on your feet or under your toes. When any injury in your leg gets unnoticed, it can severely increase the risk of such problems. So, what does a foot ulcer look like, and how can it cause any problem?
The ulcer looks like a red sore on your foot. These are lesions or open sores which do not go away easily. If not treated in time, foot ulcers can get worse and cause more severe conditions like gangrene. If not treated in an emergency, it can create situations that may lead to amputation.
Charcot Foot
Although rare, Charcot foot is one of the most severe foot conditions, especially for people with diabetes. The disease attacks joints, bones, or soft tissues of your foot. In the beginning, you may not realize the symptoms, but over time you will feel pain, find red sores, and can even see a change in the shape of your foot.
So, how does Charcot foot affect you? It is one of the prevalent risks in people with diabetes. Charcot feet can cause foot ulcers or change the shape of your feet. Doctors call this change of form “rock bottom”. It not only makes your leg look awkward but also creates problems in movement.
Foot Amputations
Amputations are the worst thing you can have with diabetes. While most of you know what it is, those who don’t may find it a little disturbing. Sometimes foot ulcers may reach a position when that is not curable anymore. If left untreated, it can then even cause cancer.
Hence, to save you from a deadly outcome, the doctor would prefer to cut out the part. If it is happening in your legs, you are most likely to lose it. Therefore, you must take things under control when you still have time.
How Podiatrist Can Help You With Diabetes?
So, how can a podiatrist help you with diabetes? Most of you can feel how awful situations can diabetes cause you. A Podiatrist is specially trained to manage these cases and lower the risks.
You may not feel nerve damage on your own. But a podiatrist can run a quick check to see if anything is there. Through this process, a Podiatrist can easily detect whether you have any diabetes-related problems happening or not. It will stop further complications like foot ulcer, charcot foot or amputations.
It further helps to create a proper plan for you, including diet and medicine. A podiatrist will keep track of your development and also change plans accordingly. Therefore, seeing a podiatrist once a year (or as recommended by the doctor) should be done by everybody.
If you feel you need authentic guidance about these problems, you can visit Essex Union Podiatry.
Conclusion
Everyone understands the value of their legs. It lets you walk on this beautiful planet and completes your life’s desires. But diabetes can ruin this in months. While we all acknowledge that precaution is better than cure, it is time to implement.
You can prevent this complication by taking the necessary means while you still have time. Now that you know how podiatrists can help you with diabetes, don’t be late in getting an appointment.
