Comment le diabète affecte-t-il vos pieds ?

How does diabetes affect your feet?

There are a few words that describe diabetes well, namely systemic, chronic and wide-ranging. And the problem is now being called one of the biggest health crises of the 21st century, as 10% of the population in France has already succumbed to the disease, and that number is growing by 5% every year. Although diabetes can have a widespread impact on your health, your feet are of particular concern, as diabetic foot neuropathy is the most common complication, affecting 50% of those affected .

At Confort Orthopédique , our team of certified podiatrists understand the clear and present danger of foot problems in our diabetic patients. That's why we offer specialized diabetic foot care, allowing our patients to stay ahead of their foot health.

Here's a quick overview of how diabetes can affect your feet and what we can do to help.

Diabetes and your feet

At its core, diabetes is a problem in which your body has difficulty regulating the levels of glucose in your bloodstream. This develops in one of two ways: You don't produce enough (or any) insulin and/or you become insulin resistant (insulin is the hormone responsible for regulating your blood sugar).

The end result of this regulatory problem is that glucose levels can build up dangerously in your blood, damaging your blood vessels. Because of this, your body has a harder time getting oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood where it needs to go. The effects of this are especially felt in your feet, where blood must fight both distance and gravity.

The most common diabetic foot problems

By far, the most common threat of diabetic foot is neuropathy (nerve damage). Also called peripheral or diabetic neuropathy, this condition develops due to high levels of blood sugar and fats (triglycerides) in your blood, which can irreparably damage your nerves.

As we mentioned, the prevalence of diabetic neuropathy is 50% in people with diabetes, making the complication very concerning.

There are other foot problems that tend to affect people with diabetes more frequently due to vascular and nerve damage, such as:

Corns and calluses
Onions
Hammered
Fungal infections
Ingrown toenails

Although these conditions are not a direct result of diabetes, they require additional care due to the nerve and vascular health of your feet.

Treating Diabetic Foot Problems

The most important thing you can do to protect the health of your feet is to be aware of potential dangers and have us take care of any problems at the first sign of trouble. There are many preventative measures you can take (we'll get to that in a minute), but you should also seek advice whenever you experience any of the following issues:

Pain, numbness or tingling in the feet
Ulcers that do not heal
Any break in your skin, even from fungal infection or warts
Swelling
Changes in skin temperature

In fact, when you have diabetes, you would do well to keep up with your regular appointments with us so that we can monitor the health of your feet for any potential problems. The fact is, the earlier we intervene, the better we can stop serious and life-altering outcomes like gangrene and amputation.