Foot Problems

It is not unusual for people to associate diabetics with foot problems. Perhaps the reason for this is that foot problems are highly visible and easy to observe. Foot problems are also among the most common pernicious side effects of diabetes. Thus diabetics, more than anybody else, must threat their foot problems early enough as these complications can lead to graver conditions.

Foot problems caused by diabetes arise from what is called neuropathy. If unchecked for long periods of time, high blood sugar levels among diabetics take their toll on their central and other parts of the nervous systems. The most adversely affected among them are the nerves in the diabetics' feet. Nerves in the foot area are farthest from the patient's brain and are therefore most susceptible to damage. Diabetics can sometimes injure parts of their feet and feel no pain from it. Such an

Dryness causes the skin of the feet to peel or crack, which further make these body parts get easily sore and more prone to wounds or injuries.

High blood sugar levels hamper a person's ability to ward off infection. It is therefore important for diabetics with foot problems to treat their infection not in the way it is normally done by persons without diabetes. Foot problems caused by diabetes are very slow to heal and, when infected, the wounds can eventually degenerate to gangrene. If the condition further worsens, amputation becomes necessary.

Foot problems caused by diabetes often begin with a wound on the diabetics' toe. The wound cracks and bleeds. The wounded person treats the wound, applies bandage around it, and hopes it heals. The wound hardly heals and soon gets infected. He sees a doctor who proceeds to address the wound with antibiotics. In some cases the procedure may work, in other cases it may