Diabetes mellitus or diabetes is a chronic disease that can cause serious complications if left untreated. Well, one of the most common risk complications is a sore on the foot (diabetic ulcer) or also called diabetic feet. Find out more about the complications of diabetes in the feet in the following review.
Diabetic Feet Causes
Diabetic feet is a complication in the feet of diabetics due to uncontrolled high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) levels.
This complication is generally in the form of diabetic ulcers or sores due to infection or damage to skin tissue in the feet of diabetics. When blood sugar levels are too high (hyperglycemia), you’re at risk for nerve damage.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes, when nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy) occurs, diabetics can’t feel pain or the strange sensation when the feet are injured.
That is what then causes diabetics not to realize the presence of wounds on the legs until finally making the wound worse because it is not treated.
At the same time, the blood vessels in the damaged leg cannot flow nutrient-rich blood and oxygen smoothly.
In fact, blood flow rich in oxygen and nutrients is very important for the wound healing process. This is aggravated by the body’s weak resistance so that the infection getting worse.
Without good blood flow, diabetic wounds on the legs are difficult to heal or may not even heal at all.
Gradually, the wound on the foot will turn into an infected diabetic ulcer and eventually experience tissue death (gangrene).
The condition of diabetic ulcers that get worse can cause permanent foot defects.
In most cases, severe infection must be treated with a leg amputation to break the spread of the infection to other areas of the body.
In addition, those who experience diabetic feet also easily experience tingling and difficulty moving the legs due to damage to the leg nerves.
Diabetic Feet Symptoms
The symptoms experienced by each person can be different, but symptoms are often found:
- Loss of sensation
- Often tingling
- Bullae (fluid-filled lumps) or painless wounds
- Skin discoloration
- Changes in skin temperature
- Wounds that don’t heal
- Change in foot shape.
If there is an infection in the feet the patient will feel:
- Fever
- Chills
- Blood sugar levels become uncontrolled
- Circulatory shock
If it happens as described, then immediately take the patient to the emergency department to get treatment.
Diabetic foot complications
Nerve and blood vessel disorders caused by diabetes need to be closely considered because it can cause very serious complications, including:
- Ulcers on the feet or sores on the feet that don’t heal
- Infections include skin infections, bone infections, abscesses
- Gangrene (death of tissue)
- Change of foot shape (Charcot foot).
Diabetic foot prevention
In fact, diabetes falls into the category of diseases that cannot be cured, but can be controlled. Therefore, to control it, you must control blood sugar levels so that the body is not susceptible to infection.
How to control it by taking diabetes medication, regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, avoiding smo**king and alco**holic beverages can increase your chances of avoiding diabetic feet. In addition, what must be understood is that diabetics are patients who need awareness and obedience to maintain blood sugar levels for life.
You should also be more careful when it comes to choosing shoes, if the intensity of baal is often felt on the feet. It’s a good idea to use soft material and avoid sticking warmers on the feet because it can cause burns.
In addition to lifestyle changes, you should also check your feet every day, especially if you feel numb. Small wounds are very easily invisible (not felt) and when left untreated, can cause infection.
Washing and moisturizing the feet as well as properly removing fish eyes and calluses help protect the feet from infection. Regularly trimming your toenails, wearing shoes and socks all the time, and making sure that the shoes you wear aren’t too narrow will also make a big difference.