In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that nearly 40 million Americans had diabetes—nearly 12% of the population. Diabetes is a disease that affects how your body processes blood sugar, and patients learn to monitor their glucose levels to help manage their condition and check that their treatment plans are working.
Patients also learn that their feet often give early warning signs of this disease. Diabetes can damage blood vessels and nerves, causing neuropathy and poor circulation. When you have consistently high blood sugar, it can cause diabetes-related neuropathy—most commonly affecting your feet.
If your family has a history of diabetes or you are overweight, it’s important to watch for the warning signs of diabetes. Here, our Wichita podiatrist, Dr. Benjamin Weaver, discusses symptoms to watch for and how your feet can be an indicator that you may have this disease.
Foot Health: How It’s Affected by Diabetes
Diabetes is a condition that often targets foot health, and symptoms can appear on the feet first. Understanding this connection helps explain why foot care is so important after you’ve been diagnosed with this disease.
When blood sugar remains elevated, it damages the small blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to your feet. When blood flow is reduced, injuries can’t heal as fast and can allow more infection into your body. Additionally, high blood sugar levels can damage nerve fibers in your feet, and this neuropathy can prevent you from feeling pain due to injuries. These factors can help cause foot complications that can progress to more serious problems, including hard-to-treat infections and, in severe cases, the need for amputation.
Diabetes Warning Signs: Check Your Feet
Recognizing diabetes-related foot problems early can help prevent painful and serious complications that could require hospitalization and/or surgery. Warning signs for diabetes may include the following:
- Wounds that are slow to heal. If you have a foot sore, blister, or cut that takes more than a few days to heal, you should see a podiatrist. Poor circulation caused by diabetes can slow your body’s healing process, and this can allow even a minor wound to remain open and become an entry point for infection. It’s important to check your feet every day to look for an open wound.
- Pins and needles. An early sign of diabetic neuropathy is the feeling of pins and needles in your feet. This may also feel like a burning sensation or tingling, and sometimes, parts of your feet may feel completely numb. These can be indicators of nerve damage—not necessarily signs of aging. If you experience these sensations, you should see Dr. Benjamin right away.
- Discoloration. If your feet appear red, blue, or pale in contrast to your legs, especially if the discoloration remains after you elevate your feet, you should see a podiatrist. Color changes in your feet can indicate circulation problems.
- Change in skin temperature. If one of your feet is warmer or cooler than the other, this could be a sign of circulation problems or a possible infection. Check for temperature differences using the back of your hand and feel for hot spots that might indicate inflammation.
- Pain in your feet. Some diabetic patients experience sharp, shooting pain when they walk. If this is a new symptom or the pain increases in intensity, it may mean that there is nerve damage in your feet. If you have these symptoms, it’s important to be evaluated by a podiatrist
- Cracked skin. Diabetes often causes dry skin that can lead to cracks and fissures on the heels of your feet. These fissures can become pathways for infection. Even if you have a hairline crack, you should call a podiatrist, especially if the crack doesn’t improve with moisturizing.
How Central Kansas Podiatry Associates Can Help
When you make an appointment with Dr. Weaver about your diabetes, he will discuss ways to help reduce your risk of serious diabetes-related foot complications. He may recommend daily foot inspections, wearing different shoes, how to manage foot moisture, and why it’s important never to walk barefoot. But he’ll also discuss why it’s important to schedule regular visits with his podiatric team. The professionals at Central Kansas Podiatry Associates can identify early warning signs of diabetes and recommend preventative care. These visits are especially important if you've previously had foot complications. Read our client testimonials to learn how we’ve helped patients just like you.
