Must-Know Diabetes Foot Care Tips

Diabetic Foot Care Overview

Diabetes mellitus (DM) represents several diseases in which high blood glucose levels over time can damage the nerves, kidneys, eyes, and blood vessels.

Diabetes can also decrease the body's ability to fight infection. When diabetes is not well controlled, damage to the organs and impairment of the immune system is likely. Foot problems commonly develop in people with diabetes and can quickly become serious.


With damage to the nervous system, a person with diabetes may not be able to feel his or her feet properly. Normal sweat secretion and oil production that lubricates the skin of the foot is impaired. These factors together can lead to abnormal pressure on the skin, bones, and joints of the foot during walking and can lead to breakdown of the skin of the foot. Sores may develop.

Damage to blood vessels and impairment of the immune system from diabetes make it difficult to heal these wounds. Bacterial infection of the skin, connective tissues, muscles, and bones can then occur. These infections can develop into gangrene. Because of the poor blood flow, antibiotics cannot get to the site of the infection easily. Often, the only treatment for this is amputation of the foot or leg. If the infection spreads to the bloodstream, this process can be life-threatening.

People with diabetes must be fully aware of how to prevent foot problems before they occur, to recognize problems early, and to seek the right treatment when problems do occur. Although treatment for diabetic foot problems has improved, prevention - including good control of blood sugar level - remains the best way to prevent diabetic complications.


People with diabetes should learn how to examine their own feet and how to recognize the early signs and symptoms of diabetic foot problems.

They should also learn what is reasonable to manage routine at home foot care, how to recognize when to call the doctor, and how to recognize when a problem has become serious enough to seek emergency treatment.

Diabetic patients have specialized foot health needs.

Conditions such as peripheral neuropathy and poor circulation may lead to non-healing wounds which can be serious and even life threatening. Gary W. Chessman DPM, FACFAS is trained to recognize and manage these health concerns.

Gary W. Chessman DPM, FACFAS utilizes the most advanced techniques in limb preservation and out-patient wound treatment. With more than 10,000 annual wound care visits, Dr. Chessman's Foot and Ankle Clinic is one of the best wound care medical practices in Florida.

Diabetes-Related Foot Problems Diabetes can affect the feet in many ways. It can damage the nerves to the feet, making it difficult for people to detect minor injuries.

Diabetes also can reduce blood circulation, which helps such injuries heal in addition to delivering antibiotics to the sites of infection and keeping skin healthy. The disease can have an impact on how effectively the immune system fights infection. All of these factors add up to patients with diabetes having an increased chance of a foot infection as well as more serious complications that may lead to hospitalization and amputation.

Foot problems that develop in people who have diabetes (e.g., ingrown toenails, calluses, corns) should be treated promptly by a podiatrist. In some diabetes cases, the body does not produce substances that are necessary to promote the healing process. Becaplermin (Regranex®) is a medication that may be applied to sores to stimulate the growth of tissue and skin.

Podiatrists help people with diabetes prevent such serious situations through education, inspection, foot care, shoe and insole recommendations, wound care and even limb salvage surgery.

First, Most diabetic complications are preventable.

Second, People with diabetes can minimize their chances of developing complications by controlling blood glucose levels, inspecting their feet every day, not walking barefoot and alerting their diabetes doctor or podiatrist as soon as a problem arises.

Third, treatment for foot sores or ulcers that do not heal properly due to poor circulation may involve a vessel bypass. Blocked blood vessels (i.e., atherosclerosis) can be bypassed with a blood vessel graft. Improved circulation promotes healing.


diabetic foot wound

In some cases, a skin graft may be performed.

In this procedure, a piece of skin is surgically removed from a healthy part of the body and used to cover the wound. However, skin grafts on the soles of the feet can be problematic because if the cause of the wound is not corrected, the wound can recur. For example, if the wound is caused by a bony prominence in the foot, padding the area is necessary to prevent the wound from recurring.