Diabetic Foot Care

People with diabetes are at an increased risk of foot conditions and complications if they have diabetes-related neuropathy and/or poor circulation. Diabetes-related neuropathy happens when you experience nerve damage due to persistently high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). It most commonly affects your feet.

Diabetes-related foot complications can happen due to a snowball effect of issues:

A sore or blister goes unnoticed: Neuropathy causes numbness, tingling or pain in your feet, which can make it hard to tell you have a wound.

The wound gets infected: People with diabetes are at an increased risk of skin infections due to a weakened immune system and inflammation.

The infection may not heal well: Diabetes can damage blood vessels and reduce blood flow in your feet. This slows healing.

Slow healing can lead to severe complications: Left untreated, infections can spread to other areas of your body and/or lead to gangrene (tissue death).

For all these reasons, taking care of your feet and managing diabetes well are very important. Several simple steps can help you prevent foot issues.