What do you understand by Diabetes and foot amputation?

Diabetes can lead to several complications. A common complication of diabetes is foot problems. Diabetes can lead to a wide range of foot problems.

Risk of foot problems is diabetes is increased due to nerve damage (neuropathy) and poor circulation. Neuropathy leads to loss of sensation or feeling in the feet. Hence people with diabetes lose their  ability to feel pain and discomfort after an injury. Poor circulation decreases the body’s ability to heal and hence healing becomes hard for even a small cut or injury.

In people with diabetes a small foot problems can turn into serious complications. Some of the diabetes-related Foot and Leg Problems include;

• Infections and ulcers (wounds) that take very long to heal or don’t heal. A small cut or injury can turn into a non-healing ulcer because of poor circulation and neuropathy
• Corns and calluses ---As due to neuropathy people with diabetes can’t feel if their shoes are causing pressure and leading to formation of corns or calluses. If these are not treated properly they can turn into ulcers.
• Dry, and cracked skin as a result of poor circulation and neuropathy. The cracks can become sores with secondary infection.
• Nail disorders---like ingrowning toenails and fungal infections of the nails. These occur due to poor circulation and neuropathy.
• Charcot foot ( a type of complex foot deformity) develops due to loss of sensation and an undetected broken bone. This can lead to damage of the soft tissue of the foot.

Foot and lower limb problems in people with diabetes needs prompt and optimal treatment. If treatment of any problem of foot is delayed (even a minor cut or injury) it can become a serious complication which can cause loss of your foot, your leg, or your life.

What can you do to prevent foot complications

• Inspect your feet daily for injury, cuts, scrapes, redness, skin or nail problems, swelling discoloration,
• Actively look for signs of fracture like swelling, changed in size, shape, or direction of the foot
• Don’t ignore any problem in your feet even a minor pain.
• Cut foot nails regularly. Go for pedicure regularly.

If you note any problem on your foot seek immediate help.

Dr Poonam Sachdeva, our in-house medical expert talks about the why what and how in diabetes.

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