Diabetes can cause nerve damage and poor circulation, especially if a person has difficulty managing blood sugar levels. This can lead to foot ulcers, blisters, pain, and foot infections.
In some cases, the damage can be severe. Infections in the feet can spread, damaging other organs and even becoming life threatening. Severe foot infections may mean a doctor has to amputate the foot.
While most people with diabetes do not develop severe foot complications, diabetes remains a leading cause of amputations.
Diabetes is usually caused byTrusted Source insulin deficiency (type 1 diabetes) or insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes). Insulin is an essential hormone responsible for helping cells absorb sugar from the blood to use for energy.
When this process does not work correctly, sugar remains circulating in the blood, causing health problems.
Prolonged periods of high sugar levels in the blood can cause nerve damage and circulation problems, which can injure the feet.
In this article, we look at foot problems that can occur in people with unmanaged or poorly managed diabetes and discuss how to prevent and manage these effects.
Symptoms
Foot symptoms of diabetes vary from person to person and may depend on the specific issues a person is experiencing at the time.
However, symptoms might include:
- loss of feeling
- numbness or tingling
- blisters or other wounds without pain
- skin discoloration and temperature changes
- red streaks
- wounds with or without drainage
- painful tingling
- staining on socks
If an infection develops, a person may also experience some of the following:
- fever
- feeling very sick
- chills
- uncontrollable blood sugar
- shaking
- shock
- redness
Any person with diabetes who experiences symptoms of an infection, especially on the feet, should seek emergency treatment.
Treatment
Treatment for diabetic foot problems varies according to the severity of the condition. A range of surgical and nonsurgical options may help.
Nonsurgical treatment
A doctor will first attempt to treat diabetic foot problems without using surgery. Some methods include:
- keeping wounds clean and dressed
- prescribing antibiotics to treat infections
- removing calluses
- prescribing immobilization devices, such as a walking cast or total contact cast
- closely observing any gangrene on the toes until self-amputation occurs, which is when the toes fall off due to lack of blood flow
- recommending exercises and diet changes to manage peripheral vascular disease and prevent it from getting worse
Surgical treatment
When nonsurgical treatment does not successfully heal diabetic foot problems, a doctor might consider surgery. Surgical options include:
- removing decaying or dead tissue
- removing ingrown toenails
- amputating the affected limb, which may range from a single toe to the leg above the knee
- surgically stabilizing Charcot Foot
- performing an arterial bypass for peripheral vascular disease, which assists blood flow to the area
- performing endovascular surgery with placement of stents, which are small devices that keep blood vessels open
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