For a person with diabetes, due to potential nerve damage (neuropathy) and poor circulation, even minor foot injuries can quickly become serious infections, potentially leading to amputation.
Risk factors for diabetes
A DPM can examine your feet for diabetes warning signs such as redness, numbness, swelling, scaly skin, inflammation, loss of hair on the toes, and non-healing wounds or sores. If symptoms are found, the DPM will refer you to other physicians, in addition to scheduling you for regular visits.
According to its proponents, you use the pinch method by holding the thumb and index finger of one hand just above the wrist of the other hand and then exerting a little bit of pressure on the wrist. Doing this will supposedly cause the release of insulin and break down glucose.
Wear socks without seams. Avoid tight-fitting socks and garters. Wear socks in bed if your feet are cold at night.
Wash your feet well every day but refrain from using hot water. Instead, use warm soapy water and be sure to check your feet for sores, cuts, blisters, corns, or redness. Dry your feet carefully and apply a gentle moisturizer. Take care to avoid moisturizing between your toes which can lead to infections.
Diabetes-related neuropathy is nerve damage that affects people with diabetes. The most common type is peripheral neuropathy, which often affects your feet. There's no cure for diabetes-related neuropathy. But you can manage it with medication, therapies and tighter blood sugar management.
Most people with diabetes can prevent serious foot problems.
Check your feet every day for cuts, redness, swelling, sores, blisters, corns, or calluses. Wash your feet every day in warm (not hot) water and dry them well. Never go barefoot, even inside.
Bedtime snacks for people with diabetes
By eating a small snack that is full of protein and healthy fats (and low in carbohydrates), your body may be better able to avoid an overnight high. If you take insulin, be sure to cover the carbohydrates in your snack, even if it only requires a small dose of insulin.
Always wear socks and shoes, even indoors, to prevent injury. 5. Ask your provider about compression socks or stockings if you have venous insufficiency (for example, spider or varicose veins), swelling in your leg or foot, a history of deep venous thrombosis (a previous blood clot in the leg), or walk or stand a lot.
Dan Michaels, DPM, says that the color of socks diabetics choose makes a difference. In particular, he recommends wearing white socks, which can help alert them to foot problems that they may not notice due to reduced sensitivity in the feet.
Testing your blood sugar is an essential part of managing your diabetes. Test your blood sugar first thing in the morning to get a baseline reading for the day. This can help you adjust your diabetes management plan as needed.
Symptoms of hyperglycaemia
If you have diabetes, you can develop nerve problems at any time. Sometimes, neuropathy can be the first sign of diabetes. Significant nerve problems (clinical neuropathy) can develop within the first 10 years after a diabetes diagnosis. The risk of developing neuropathy increases the longer you have diabetes.
How does diabetes cause foot problems? Foot problems are common in people with diabetes. 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.
Diabetic nails may look thickened, yellowish, brittle, or have an unusual shape. This is often due to reduced blood flow to the extremities and nerve damage, also known as peripheral neuropathy, which affects the feet.
The best diet for diabetics focuses on whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, emphasizing portion control and consistent meal times to manage blood sugar. Key strategies include filling half your plate with non-starchy vegetables, choosing high-fiber carbs (like legumes, brown rice, quinoa), incorporating fatty fish and olive oil, and limiting added sugars, unhealthy fats, and refined carbs (like pastries, sugary drinks). Popular approaches like the Mediterranean diet and DASH diet, rich in nutrients and low in processed items, also work well for diabetes management.
The 5 stages of diabetic foot ulcers generally progress from a healthy foot (Stage 1) through increasing severity: a high-risk foot (Stage 2, with calluses/blisters), a shallow ulcer (Stage 3), a deeper infected ulcer (Stage 4, involving bone/tendon), and finally gangrene or necrosis (Stage 5, tissue death, often needing amputation). Management focuses on preventing progression, especially in earlier stages, through good foot care, blood sugar control, and addressing neuropathy and poor circulation.
To avoid hurting your skin, don't use a nail file, nail clipper or scissors on calluses, corns or warts. Don't use chemical wart removers. See your provider or foot specialist (podiatrist) to remove any of these issues. Cut your toenails carefully.
Wearing them all day can also help reduce fluid buildup as the day goes on. Remove your compression socks before you go to sleep unless your healthcare provider tells you to sleep with them on.
Blood sugar levels and sleep
Low blood sugar, known as hypos (short for hypoglycaemia) in the night can affect people living with type 1 diabetes and can lead to reduced sleep quality.
The “three-hour rule” for rapid-acting insulin (aka "Insulin Stacking") Rapid-acting insulin begins to work about 15 minutes after injection, peaks in about 1 hour, and continues to work for 2 to 4 hours. The three-hour rule prevents “insulin stacking” and a low blood glucose (BG) or hypoglycemia.
8 Simple Snacks That Won't Spike Your Blood Sugar
A podiatrist is an important part of any diabetes health care team. At The Walking Clinic, our team of podiatrists are specifically trained in diabetes foot care and can assess nerve damage, identify specific foot health risks and help come up with a treatment and prevention plan.
SYMPTOMS OF CIRCULATION PROBLEMS
Swollen ankles and feet, discolored or blue and red toes, hair loss on the legs and thin, dry, or cracked skin can be symptoms that someone with poor circulation can experience.
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is progressive
If you continue to have uncontrolled glucose levels in your blood, the nerve damage can progress and become irreversible. And this irreversible nerve damage can lead to much larger problems like diabetic foot ulcers.