Breathtakingly, there are millions of diabetics living with a complication that isn’t always given the attention it needs – diabetic foot problems.

Specifically, diabetic foot is an umbrella term used to describe any number of issues from nerve damage (neuropathy) or lack of circulation, to open wounds and dangerous infections.

These can creep upon you insidiously, sometimes without pain, and are incredibly easy to ignore.

What may seem trivial as a minor callus or blister can rapidly evolve into an extremely life-threatening situation.

Here’s a rundown of what contributes to diabetic foot problems, how to identify early warning symptoms and what every day actions can really make a difference to risk levels.

If you’v been told you have diabetes or have long-suffered without appreciating ground contact, knowledge is power.

Understanding Why Diabetic Foot Complications Develop

Diabetes messes with more than just glucose levels.

In the long term, uncontrolled diabetes can damage every blood vessel and nerve in the body, with the feet being most at risk.

Two main processes tend to be responsible for diabetic foot problems: peripheral neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease.

Peripheral Neuropathy: When You Can’t Feel What Must Be Noted down

The pathway of deadening the nerves in the feet and lower legs, peripheral neuropathy causes diminished feeling in that leg and those feet.

Many describe it as tingling, a burning feeling or numbness, but some won’t notice that they have anything wrong until something actually hurts–and even then, the warning has been missed.

When you no longer notice pebbles in your shoes, a squeeze of tight socks around your toes or a small developing sore on your skin, small damage becomes sustained.

The body’s natural defense, the person who ignores the fire alarm stops working.

A seemingly minor abrasion that would be addressed immediately in a non-diabetic, such as a small hole caused when stepping from shoe to sidewalk, may remain unnoticed for days with a patient who has neuropathy, allowing bacterial colonies to develop into a dangerous infection.

Poor Circulation and How This Slows Wound Healing

Even if the (neuropathic) wound is noticed early, slow blood flow caused by narrow arteries will result in a difficult healing process.

Healthy circulation supplies oxygen, nutrients and immune cells to the injured tissue, and if it isn’t present, wounds that would usually be straightforward may turn difficult.

Very thin skin tears often and bruises easily, even minor trauma sets back healing, and when infection occurs, the immune system fights the wound stubbornly rather than promptly.

This circumstance, short sensation combined with sluggish healing, is the basis of the unique challenge that diabetic feet present.

Spotting Diabetic Foot Symptoms for Early Intervention

Peripheral neuropathy can be identified in a variety of ways, in terms of the sensation in person’s feet and in the appearance of the skin.

Decreased sensation rather than complete insensitivity is far more common, and can be monitored as part of a home program.

Between the toes, on the soles, and on the top of your feet, check for dryness, cracks or soreness.

As your foot dryer or cracks form, cracks more frequently deepen and become painful, and calluses become thicker but less manageable without careful care.

Hard skin of any sort must be carefully managed, as the problem underneath the callus can be trapped if left unchecked, exacerbating existing damage.

Benign changes to the toenails are easily overlooked by the general public but in fact, very common signs of toe troubles occurring underneath.

Find a local podiatrist to help with trimming thickened nails and cutting into corns, and check in with your doctor or foot specialist without delay if you see skin that looks red, feels swollen and is warm, or feels different from the skin in other areas of the foot.

Ulcer severity can be classified by clinical guidelines (the Wagner scale being the most eminent), with grade zero involving only intact skin, and grade five showing entirely dead tissue to be considere for amputation.

The general guideline is the earlier this stage is recognized and addressed, the less likely a person is to have long-term problems following the issue.

Therefore, seeking professional intervention as soon as a problem develops rather than relying on the phrase “it will probably heal itself” will improve outcomes exponentially.

Actual Strategies that Effect Real Benefits

Managing diabetic foot health in general terms isn’t difficult but it does require motivation and discipline on the part of the patient.

Those quick “five minute a day” routines of one quick foot check followed by application of a moisturizer are proven techniques in prevention of foot issues on the long term.

The Minutiae of Daily Foot Inspection

Simple tasks add up.

Inspect both feet top and bottom at least once daily – use a mirror if bending forward is limited, and cover both feet using only a towel, likewise.

Wash from the toes up with warm water, but avoid burning by testing temperature with the hand first, and don’t dry using a rough towel – that will foster problems.

Dry between the toes, and apply a moisturizer daily to all areas–but make sure you don’t leave excess fluid between the toes, since this invites a yeast or fungal infection.

Cut the toenails flat and do not cut into the edges or point upward either.

Always wear comfortable socks sans constrictive elastic bands.

Always wear supportive shoes, never walk barefoot in the house if at all possible.

It’s not a matter of clearing slabs of floor space and tidying, but of minimizing injury potential and detecting problems early.

How Better Management of Diabetic Foot Can Improve Your Life and Prevent Problems

Regular check-ups with a podiatric specialist are invaluable, especially if you already experience neuropathy or circulation problems.

A good podiatrist is more acutely aware of any warning signs–such as a change in the structure of the foot or early skin changes–that might go unnoticed otherwise.

In addition to having appropriate foot care professionals on the care team the magic lies in both keeping blood sugar in range, which most definitely prevents nerve damage progression, and never smoking either!–Need we say more?