Standing on my own 2 feet!

If you have diabetes, a lot of changes happen in your daily schedule with added task to manage. You have to do regular blood sugar monitoring, planning healthy diet, maintaining an active lifestyle, taking your medicines on time and none the less not skipping the regular doctor visits. With all this, taking care of your feet may skip, which is already a forgotten task of daily routine in day to day life.

As already discussed, nerve damages are very common in diabetes. Nerve damage can take place in any part of our body, but the feet are most commonly affected. It can manifest as numbness, tingling, inability to feel heat, cold or pain. But most of the time this happens so gradually that none can realise what is happening with their feet. Which manifest as loss of planter protective sensation (LOPS). Because of this, any small cut, blister or trauma may go unnoticed and eventually pose a serious problem.

Neurological damage along with poor blood flow can cause foot ulcers. It may get infected and not heal. If it does not get better with the treatment, then it may require amputation (Surgical removal) To prevent the spread of infection to the rest of the body.

To prevent this from happening always make sure that you check your feet every day. Check for any cuts, bruises or swellings. Never walk bare footed, always use covered foot ware. Use moisturiser to prevent cracks from dry skin. This will help you to prevent and indetify problems early and manage them accordingly. Early treatment helps reduce incidents of amputation. Keep your blood sugars in target range, avoid smoking, have a healthy eating plan and maintain an active healthy lifestyle.

Taking care of your feet and examining them regularly is the key to prevent any foot complications associated with diabetes. As small a step as spending five minutes a day will help to keep you on your feet!!