Over 40 million Americans live with diabetes, a metabolic disorder where a person’s blood sugar levels are high because their body either doesn’t produce insulin or doesn’t process it efficiently.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 90-95% of people with diabetes have type 2, which is most often diagnosed in midlife and frequently linked to lifestyle factors.
Unfortunately, diabetes causes diverse complications, including circulatory problems, kidney damage, vision issues, and more. Diabetes also affects your foot health by increasing your risk for problems like ingrown toenails, nail fungus, and a concerning condition known as neuropathy.
In this post, we delve into what neuropathy is, how it affects your feet, and the treatments that our caring provider team at Premier Foot & Ankle offers to ease symptoms and prevent serious outcomes.
Diabetic neuropathy is a condition that develops when prolonged high blood sugar levels cause slowed circulation, resulting in nerve damage — most frequently in your feet or legs. It impacts up to 50% of those living with diabetes and causes symptoms like:
When your nerves can’t send signals properly, these symptoms become severe. They’re not only uncomfortable but also debilitating, preventing you from walking comfortably and properly, and putting you at risk for a fall.
Diabetic neuropathy can launch a cascade of negative effects that can become serious quickly. With numbness, there’s a good chance you won’t feel or notice a small foot injury, like a crack in your skin, a scratch, or a cut.
This opens you up to infection, and if that happens and it enters your bloodstream, you may face gangrene (tissue death) and toe amputation.
At Premier Foot & Ankle, we’re committed to partnering with you to provide the best care for your neuropathy, as well as education so you can take great care of your feet at home.
Home care includes a daily visual assessment of your feet to look for small injuries, daily gentle and thorough cleaning and drying of your feet, moisturizing (except between your toes), and protecting your feet with well-fitting footwear.
This is in addition to your usual diabetes self-care, which should include a diabetes-friendly diet and regular exercise.
If you’re diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy, we can help.
First, we offer advanced diagnostic testing with SUDOSCAN®, a medical device that helps us identify neuropathy early. It examines your ability to sweat, providing important information about your nerve health, so your provider can carefully monitor what’s going on and individualize your treatment.
Your Premier Foot & Ankle provider may suggest several treatments for soothing your neuropathy-related discomfort, including:
If you suspect you may be dealing with diabetic neuropathy, it’s important to pursue diagnosis and treatment. Early intervention prevents worsening nerve damage.
Contact Premier Foot & Ankle to schedule a consultation. Call one of our five convenient Texas locations today or book your appointment online anytime.
