Diabetes and Foot Pain

People with diabetes often have problems with their feet, and many times these problems are related to neuropathy.

Diabetic footcare is very important as any foot injury can cause problems for diabetics. According to the American Diabetes Association, the skin on your feet can change when you are diabetic. You may find that your feet are dry at times. This is due to the changes in the nerves that control the oil and moisture in your foot failing to work properly. Sometimes the skin cracks and peels. Diabetics should not put oil or cream between their toes since this can result in infection.

Neuropathy

Neuropathy can cause your feet to hurt, but it can also cause you to not feel heat and cold like you once did. A loss of feeling in your feet increases the chance that you could injure your foot and not even know that you did it. Diabetics have been known to have a pebble or rock in their shoe and not realize it before there was substantial damage to their foot. Doctors often tell patients that they should check their feet each day to make sure that no damage has occurred. Once the skin is severed, it can take longer to heal when you are diabetic.

Another change that can occur with your feet is that they can change shape. If they do, you will need diabetic shoes. Diabetic socks are another requirement for many diabetics because they do not cut off circulation. They are usually very stretchy so that they do not leave marks on your ankles or legs.

Poor Circulation

Diabetics often have poor circulation that affects their feet in several ways. The blood vessels in the feet and legs may harden due to diabetes. If this
happens, the foot is not able to fight infection or to have natural fast healing. Controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol can help to keep your blood
vessels open so that the blood flows to your feet more freely.

Sometimes, a condition called intermittent claudication causes pain in the calves when walking up a hill or on a hard surface. Medication can be helpful, but many times simply stopping for a few minutes solves the problem. Getting exercise is important for diabetics, so you will need to tell your doctor about your foot or calf pain when you walk so that a solution can be found.

Calluses

Calluses are another problem that those with diabetes may have. If a callus is not trimmed, it thickens and can turn into an ulcer. People who have diabetes often have calluses build up faster than they do on other people. One way to control them is to use a pumice stone every day. Most doctors recommend using them on wet skin and applying lotion afterwards.

Foot Ulcers

Foot ulcers cause problems and pain for diabetics. They usually occur on the ball of the foot or on the bottom of the big toe. It is also possible to get
ulcers on the sides of the feet if you wear shoes that do not fit properly. Foot ulcers are one of the biggest problems that diabetics face because of the
possibility of infection. Foot-care is vital because sores usually heal slowly when you are diabetic. Ignoring a sore or ulcer can even result in the amputation of your foot or let.

Doctors treat foot ulcers in a variety of ways, including taking x-rays of the foot to make sure the bone has not become infected. If the ulcer is large and badly infected, a hospital stay may be necessary.