What is Type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin to meet the requirements of your body. As the body requires insulin to move sugar into your cells, type 2 diabetes is associated with high blood sugar levels which can have a number of detrimental effects on your body if left uncontrolled.
How can diabetes affect your feet?
- Nerve damage- blood sugar levels that vary over a prolonged period of time will damage the nerve supply to your lower limbs and feet. This can initially present as altered sensations (tingling/ numbness/ burning) and can progress to a condition known as peripheral neuropathy (total loss of sensation under feet).
- Reduced blood supply- poorly controlled diabetes will result in decreased circulation to your feet. This is known as peripheral vascular disease (PVD). Having reduced blood flow to the lower extremities can predispose patients to infection following a break or cut in the skin and can significantly slow the healing of wounds.
- Ulceration- the combination of nerve damage and reduced blood supply can predispose patients to diabetic foot ulcers. When left untreated, these ulcerations can result in severe infections and lower limb amputation.
What can you do to prevent these conditions from occurring?
- Take an active awareness of your foot/ lower limb health status- note anything that may occur due to the progression of diabetic related changes
- Regularly visit your podiatrist for a foot check up- our podiatrists at your first consultation will determine how often you should attend the studio based on your risk status
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle
- Conduct daily foot checks- looking for any pressure points, areas of tenderness, cuts, bruises, signs of infection (to consult your podiatrist immediately)
- Wearing appropriate footwear- avoid tight fitting footwear that may cause blistering along with open toed sandals/ thongs
- Clean, dry and moisturise feet daily
How Studio Podiatry can help:
Our podiatrists are passionate about providing diabetic patients with the highest level of care and management available. We place particular focus on working closely with your GP in order to keep them informed of your current risk status. We conduct diabetic foot assessments that thoroughly test the nerve and blood supply to your lower limbs. In-depth reporting means we are able to track and compare your results over time, to ensure we are maintaining/ lowering your risk status. We are also able to analyse areas of high pressure during your gait which may become a potential site for skin breakdown. We can then offload these effectively, in order to prevent ulceration/ potential infection.
