If you haven’t guessed, I enjoy my pun-based titles. Most posts I write will have some play on words relating to the content. Half the fun is in doing so. But anyway, yesterday I wrote on the importance of proper oral hygiene and how it relates to Diabetes. I’ve said it before and I can easily repeat now, Type-1 Diabetes has this nasty habit of affecting just about every aspect of the human body. From possible vision problems to compromised organs, it’s no wonder that people living with Type-1 Diabetes run into so many issues and complications. Tack on the fact that fluctuating blood sugars will often sap one’s energy and will, and you have an easy recipe for disaster where it relates to one’s health. And your feet are no exception. Proper foot health is a very real concern t=for someone living with Type-1 Diabetes. And today, we’re going to explore those problems. Walk with me… (see what I did there?)
Your feet are an important part of your body. Seems like a pretty obvious statement, right? After all, isn’t EVERY part of your body important? Well, that’s a matter of opinion… Just ask your tonsils or your appendix. But I digress… Your feet are essentially your means of locomotion, allowing you to walk, run, stand and if you happen to study the martial arts like me, kick, block and defend yourself. The loss of one’s feet would present fairly specific challenges that would make all around daily life a serious challenge. This is why it always makes me so sad when I hear that someone’s Type-1 Diabetes has gotten bad enough that they had to have their foot and/or feet amputated. In fact, it’s a Diabetic aspect that I’ve often seen referenced in comedy circles, right up there with quoting Wilfred Brimley. But all jokes, or attempted jokes aside, what are the issues that lead to this outcome? And what can someone with type-1 Diabetes do to properly prevent them?
According to an article posted by the Cleveland Clinic, “People with diabetes are at an increased risk of foot conditions and complications if they have diabetes-related neuropathy and/or poor circulation. Diabetes-related neuropathy happens when you experience nerve damage due to persistently high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). It most commonly affects your feet.” One of the reasons that these aspects tend to affect the feet, is also because it’s an extremity, where blood circulation will already be at its lowest. For this reason, neuropathy will set in much easier than in other areas of the body. The article goes on to indicate that these issues can be caused and snowball due to a number of different aspects, including sores or blisters that go unnoticed and are allowed to become infected. Since folks with Type-1 Diabetes have a weaker immune system, they’re at a higher risk of infection.
And the damage caused to the feet’s blood vessels can make the healing process take far longer. This increases the risk of the infection spreading into other areas of the body, leading to gangrene, which can lead to the amputation that seems to be the trademark of an uncontrolled Diabetic. Some of the prevailing conditions that can lead to foot complications include but are not limited to:
- Cuts, ulcers, burns and blisters that don’t heal.
- Dry, cracked skin.
- Corns and calluses.
- Fungal infections or ingrown toenails.
- Hammertoes and bunions.
It can be pretty difficult for someone, especially if one is not a health care professional, to notice and identify some of the issues with one’s feet. But some of the symptoms that one should be on the look out for may include persistent sores, calluses or or blisters, bleeding without injury, infected skin or pus, foul smell, persistent aching or pain in the feet and/or ankles, swelling or skin discoloration. If you start to notice any of these issues, you may wish to consult your doctor or medical professional. Consistent symptoms may be an indicator of an issue that will require medical attention.
So, it’s fair enough o say that folks with Diabetes have this complication, but what causes it? Typically, foot issues are caused by neuropathy or poor circulation. Lessened circulation will also contribute to the difficulty in healing wounds on the feet. Uncontrolled blood sugars, like in every other scenario, take the driver’s seat in how healthy your feet will be, since consistently high blood sugars will cause nerve damage in the legs and feet, leading to consistent aching and pain, even when there’s nothing visible to be seen. Like with everything else medically-related in life, every person is different and symptoms may persist in different ways for each person. What’s important is to ensure you’re taking proper steps to care for your feet to avoid these issues.
What can you do to prevent some of these issues? Well, the preventative steps will seem somewhat obvious but you’d be surprised at how many people seem to overlook them. First and foremost, control your damn blood sugars! That should be obvious for a variety of important reasons, not only foot health. But least of all, you should be checking your feet on a daily basis. Since Diabetics may have lessened sensation in the feet, wounds and blisters may not always be felt. I sit down to put on socks and shoes every morning, and perform a cursory check of both feet to ensure I don’t have wounds that I may have incurred that I wasn’t aware of. You want to ensure that your footwear and socks fit properly, not too tightly, and are in good condition and clean. The clean part relates to your socks, which some people have a propensity for re-wearing socks for more than a day. This is a bad idea, given the potential bacteria you may be introducing into cuts or sores from extended wearing of socks. Change ‘em up on a daily basis and make sure they aren’t too tight, limiting an already limited blood flow.
Make sure your shoes fit well, are comfortable and don’t exert pressure or tightness against any areas of your feet. The insoles of your shoes should be in good condition and prevent rubbing against your feet to cause blisters. Wash your feet daily. I mean, you should be doing that regardless but keeping your feet clean and properly moisturized are important steps to maintaining proper foot health. Consistent exercise to help maintain blood flow can also be important. You should avoid ripping off calluses or corns yourself, or walking around bare-footed (as much as I love doing this). All it takes is one step on your kid’s LEGO block to cause a wound that will trigger a negative chain of foot-related events that you won’t want to deal with. Last but not least, trim your toenails properly and make sure there are no sharp edges or ingrown nails.
Diabetes Canada has a great checklist that covers a lot of this. You can access it here. A lot of what’s described above should be things that you’re doing regardless. Proper exercise, controlling blood sugars and daily cleaning and washing being among the most prominent. So, while it may seem tedious to be doing so much to maintain proper foot health, it’s really just an inclusion to what you should already be doing to stay healthy. Type-1 Diabetes is a life-long condition; one that will eventually do me in, I’m sure. But I have no intention of making it easy or going down without a fight. This is why it’s so important to maintain these bodily systems and ensure your feet are there to carry you around for the foreseeable future. Food for thought… ☯️
The Blogging Buddhist 