People with diabetes are more likely than those without diabetes to get a fungal infection called onychomycosis. This infection usually affects the toenails. The nails will turn yellow and become brittle.
Tingling, burning, or pain in your feet. Loss of sense of touch or ability to feel heat or cold very well. A change in the shape of your feet over time. Loss of hair on your toes, feet, and lower legs.
Cut your nails straight across, without rounding the corners. Make sure you cut them short enough that they don't catch on shoes, socks, or blankets, but not so short that they become ingrown. File your nails to smooth any rough edges, but only after your nails are completely dry, and file in one direction.
Diabetics often have reduced blood flow to their feet, which may cause thicker toenails or numbness.
Changes in the diabetic toenails are usually due to: Poor circulation. Trauma – which often goes unnoticed due to neuropathy. General susceptibility to fungal infections – resulting from high levels of glucose in the blood.
People with diabetes are more likely than those without diabetes to get a fungal infection called onychomycosis. This infection usually affects the toenails. The nails will turn yellow and become brittle.
Myth: People with diabetes can't cut their own toenails
Not true: the general advice on toenail cutting applies to everyone. If you have diabetes you should keep your nails healthy by cutting them to the shape of the end of your toes.
Once your toe is numbed using a local anesthetic, the toenail is removed and an acid (Phenol) is applied to stop the nail cells from ever producing a toenail. This will eliminate the regrowth of the thickened toenail permanently.
If you have had an injury to your toe and your nail is temporarily thick, it may get better over time. As a new, healthy nail grows out, you can see if it gets better. However, due to the slow growth of toenails, this can take many months.
They can happen over time when high blood sugar damages the nerves and blood vessels in the feet. The nerve damage, called diabetic neuropathy, can cause numbness, tingling, pain, or a loss of feeling in your feet. If you can't feel pain, you may not know when you have a cut, blister, or ulcer (open sore) on your foot.
The nail plate may separate completely, or become distorted (onychogryphosis) leading to very misshapen toenails. Impaired circulation may also cause localised hypertrophy of the nail plate. People with diabetes can also get periungual blisters, haemorrhage and ulceration.
Medicare will cover the treatment of corns, calluses, and toenails once every 61 days in persons having certain systemic conditions. Examples of such conditions include: Diabetes with peripheral arterial disease, peripheral arterial disease, peripheral neuropathy, and chronic phlebitis.
Diabetes Belly Fat is a sign that the body is failing. Stomach fat is linked to Heart failure in the diabetic. Lack of good insulin causes the body to store fat at the waist.
Diabetic dermopathy appears as pink to red or tan to dark brown patches, and it is most frequently found on the lower legs. The patches are slightly scaly and are usually round or oval. Long-standing patches may become faintly indented (atrophic).
Diabetic neuropathy is common and can't be reversed. However, you can manage it through a variety of ways. These include: managing blood glucose levels.
Surgical Treatment for Thick Toenails
In some cases, the thick toenail can be surgically removed in order to relieve pressure and eliminate the infected tissue underneath. Topical anti-fungal medication is then applied until the nail completely returns.
The growth rate of nails decreases when people get older. This results in thickening because nail cells pile up. The process of nail cells piling up is referred to as onychocytes. Another reason why fingernails don't thicken as much is their growth rate is smaller than the growth rate of toenails.
This overgrowth is called subungual hyperkeratosis. People with hyperkeratosis may notice a white, chalky substance under the nail. When this occurs in the toenails, the pressure of shoes pushing down on the nails might cause pain.
Baking soda has strong antifungal effects. Soaking your thick yellow toenails in baking soda and water can combat fungal infections. Applying 100% tea tree oil to affected toenails twice daily can help ease symptoms. Olive leaf extract has both antibacterial and antifungal effects.
“Applying Vicks VapoRub to fungus-infected toenails can clear up the notoriously hard-to-treat condition. Michigan State University clinicians found that applying the product daily to the infected nail cleared the condition in 32 of 85 patients, though it took anywhere from 5 to 16 months…”
Although there are many potential causes of thick nails, a fungal infection is the most likely cause in the toenails. Other conditions, such as psoriasis or diabetes, may also cause thick nails to develop. The exact cause of thick nails will help decide a person's treatment to correct the condition.
How does a podiatrist help people with diabetes? A podiatrist is an important part of your diabetes health care team. Podiatrists are specifically trained to assess the nerve damage in your feet, identify your specific foot health risks, and help you come up with a treatment and prevention plan.
Soaking the feet can dry out the skin. This can worsen the foot problems that people with diabetes experience.
Toe Nail Care
It is advisable to have a podiatrist regularly perform the toenail care for diabetics since a small cut from trimming their own nails could quickly escalate into a larger issue. You can help minimize further issues by having a podiatrist regularly perform your nail care.