Archive for the ‘Diabetes Foot Care’ Category

Pool feet

Taking good care of your feet is very important for people with diabetes. The summer time is particular pleasant time for sun and fun, but also it poses a serious danger for people with diabetes.

It is estimated that approximately one of five people with diabetes has diabetic neuropathy by the American Diabetes Association. Signs and symptoms include loss of sensation, burning, pain, numbness, and tingling of the feet.

Foot care should be taken seriously when you have diabetes. Poor foot care can lead to further complications, including nerve damage, infections, ulcers, impaired circulation, and hospitalization. By taking care of your feet, more severe diabetes problems can be prevented.

Here are the 10 TOP TIPS for foot care:

1. Keep your feet dry and clean
2. Check the condition of your feet ever day
3. Visit a podiatrist regularly
4. Keep your toenails trimmed
5. Apply lotion (or sunscreen) on your feet (not toes) to avoid sunburn
6. Control your blood sugar to prevent foot neuropathy
7. Protect your feet with proper shoes and socks, no flip-flops
8. Never walk barefoot
9. Consider smoking cessation
10. Consider aerobic exercises or walking at least 15 minutes in daily life

Several mediations from Canadian online pharmacy could be used as pain –relieving treatment of neuropathy nerve pain, such as brand name Neurontin, and generic Cymbalta.

We hope these tips are helpful, be sure to talk to your doctor if you have any questions. LAI wish your feet have a pretty and healthy summer!

As most diabetics know, the onset set of diabetic neuropathy usually starts in the extremities, particularly the feet. Neuropathy occurs when a diabetic’s high blood sugar breaks down nerves and blood vessels in the body. The feet are most often affected, as they have many tiny bloody vessels, a large nerve network, and are the farthest from the heart, therefore receiving less blood than other areas. Neuropathy often results in ulcers or a loss of feeling in the feet. This can cause permanent damage, and sometimes even requires amputation to maintain overall health. Therefore, it is incredibly important to maintain your diabetes, and keep a close eye on your feet.

Step 1: Listen to your doctor – This means maintaining communication with them, and actually doing what they ask you to do. Diabetes is a difficult condition, but it can be easier with new treatments such as Bydureon and Trajenta. Maintaining a good level of blood glucose is important for your overall health, and helps prevent the breakdown of important nerves and blood vessels.

Step 2: Daily checks – Just like looking for a breast lump, daily checks are necessary to catch a problem early. Check for sores, infected toenails, and red spots. Use a mirror if you have a hard time bending down. Another important fact is how fast cuts heal. Talk to your doctor if a cut hasn’t starting healing after a day.

Step 3: Proper Shoes – Shoes with a supportive sole and a breathable shell are extremely important for a diabetic. Both of these factors help to maintain good circulation in your feet, and make exercising much easier. Remember that good shoes will also wear out after a time, so periodically check the height of the insoles, and the overall condition of the shoe. If you notice that these things are lacking, invest in new shoes. You will notice a positive difference.

Step 4: Temperature Control – Step 3 and step 4 go hand in hand, it is important, when exercising, or when sedentary, to control the temperature of your feet. Since you may not be able to feel in, touch your feet with your hands every couple of hours yto make sure they are not overheated or exceptionally warm. Both of these extreme can lead to more nerve breakdown.

Step 5: Keep Them in Motion – Remember to wiggle your toes throughout the day; particularly ladies who wear tight shoes to work. You want to maintain good circulation, so try not to cross your legs for too long, and when you’re relaxing on the couch, put your feet up.

Step one is truly the most important of these, as only your doctor will be able to help you accurately maintain your blood glucose levels in order to keep you’re the healthiest, and stave off neuropathy. If your doctor tells you to buy Trajenta or any other diabetes medications, consider Big Mountain Drugs, a Canadian online pharmacy which offers significantly discounted medications, in order to keep you on the best medications without impacting you financially.

diabetic ulcer

Photo: stevenfruitsmaak

One of the complications of diabetes can be ulcerated wounds that won’t heal, particularly on the feet. This is because diabetes causes nerve damage and impairs blood flow and circulation to the extremities. About 1 in 5 diabetics who seek hospital treatment do so because of foot problems, and diabetes is one of the leading causes of lower limb amputations worldwide.

The medical removal of dead or infected tissue from wounds such as diabetic ulcers is called debridement. Doctors typically use scalpels, high pressure fluid, or tissue-dissolving enzymes for the procedure. A less known procedure is maggot debridement therapy, or MDT. Read the full article

A new article explains symptoms and treatments for Charcot foot, a form of localized osteoporosis linked to diabetes that causes the bones to soften and break, often resulting in amputation.

“Even though it was first described in 1883, the diagnosis and successful treatment of Charcot foot continue to be a challenge because this syndrome is not widely known or understood by the broader medical profession,” said Lee C. Rogers, D.P.M., co-director of the Amputation Prevent Center at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, CA.

“Charcot foot is now considered to be an inflammatory syndrome most often seen in patients with diabetes which can be successfully treated in its early stages.”  To read the full article on this little known diabetes complication on ScienceDaily and to view a picture of this crippling condition, CLICK HERE.

Photo: Harmen Piekema

Award-winning research has uncovered two substances in frog’s skin with the potential to treat diabetes, cancer, stroke, organ transplants and many other conditions. The substances are proteins, or peptides, that could be used in a controlled and targeted way to regulate the growth of blood vessels.

The proteins are excreted in waxy substances on the frog’s outer skin, and can be extracted without harming the frogs, which can then be released. One of the proteins, extracted from the Waxy Monkey Frog, has the potential to kill cancer tumors.

A different protein from the Giant Firebellied Toad switches on a process called angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones. This process could be used to repair stubborn wounds like diabetic ulcers; help repair damage to blood vessels caused by high blood sugar, heart attacks and strokes, and aid in organ transplants.

“We are absolutely convinced that the natural world holds the solutions to many of our problems,” says Queen’s University Belfast Professor Chris Shaw, who led the research, “We just need to pose the right questions to find them.”

Scientists and drug companies all over the world have spent billions of dollars over the years trying to develop a drug that can target, control and grow blood vessels. To read more about the ground breaking Queen’s University angiogenesis research on ScienceDaily.com, >CLICK HERE.<

bare foot

Photo: healingdream

Uncontrolled or poorly controlled diabetes can allow too much glucose to build up in your blood. Over time, high glucose levels can damage nerves and blood vessels. People who have diabetes often have trouble with their feet because of nerve and blood vessel damage, and about one in ten will develop foot ulcers. Two main concerns for diabetics are:

Sensory diabetic neuropathy: If you have damaged nerves in your legs and feet, you might not feel heat, cold, or pain. You may not feel a cut or sore on your foot, which could lead to its being ignored and getting infected. Check your feet regularly for cuts, cracks and blisters.

Peripheral vascular disease: Damaged blood vessels can lead to poor circulation, especially in the extremities. Poor blood flow impedes healing and puts diabetics at risk of developing foot ulcers, or even gangrene.

If you’re diabetic, you should avoid going barefoot, wear well-padded socks and comfortable shoes, wash your feet and apply lotion daily, and keep your feet warm and dry. Follow your doctor’s advice on diet and exercise, and take your diabetes medication exactly as prescribed to help control your blood glucose.

WebMD has created an informative Diabetes and Foot Problems Slideshow which includes helpful  advice on foot care. To view it, >CLICK HERE<.