If you’ve got diabetes, you already know that you’ve got to stay on top of your blood glucose levels. High blood sugar contributes to problems with vision, heart disease, kidney function, and oral health. But did you know that nerve damage (neuropathy) and circulation issues (lack of blood flow) are two additional problems – major problems – that pose a real threat to your foot health? A huge percentage of diabetics will eventually have problems with their feet due to these two issues:
- Nerve damage in your feet and toes means that it becomes difficult to feel pain. For example, damaged nerves can’t relay the message that you’ve got a cut on the bottom of your foot.
- Lack of blood flow means that blood vessels are damaged and can’t deliver blood efficiently to these outermost parts of your body – your feet. That wound on the bottom of your foot is slow to heal and runs the risk of becoming infected.
If you can’t feel it and your body can’t heal it, you’re at risk for amputation.
The role of a diabetic shoe
Amputation is avoidable by careful, daily examination of your diabetic foot and quick action when you see anything amiss. Deformities, cuts, corns, calluses, and cracked skin are all signs of trouble. Many of these foot issues can be improved or avoided altogether by wearing shoes specifically designed for diabetics.
As soon as you receive a diagnosis of diabetes, consult with podiatrists Dr. Heidi M. Christie or Dr. Chanda L. Day-Houts about the benefits of diabetic footwear. Diabetic shoes serve to properly support and protect the special needs of the diabetic foot. They’re modified and custom-fitted, helping to
- relieve unwanted pressure
- give better shock absorption
- stabilize the foot
- minimize joint movements that are causing pain or inflammation.
Simply put, wearing a diabetic shoe can help prevent the foot problems that lead to wounds, ulcers, infections, and amputations. In the River Region, contact Montgomery Foot Care Specialists for our excellent diabetic shoe program. We can custom fit you to the right shoe right here in our office in Montgomery, Alabama. Contact us online or give us a call at (334) 396-3668.