So you’ve already agreed that proper foot care is necessary in order to address the possibility of having your feet amputated because of diabetes. Well, how does a diabetic exactly tell when they already need to see a doctor about their foot. After all, you might just have had a really bad buy when you bought those new pair of slip-ons for your Saturday night out with your friends.
Well, here are a few symptoms that you might want to look out for when debating as to whether you need to see a doctor about the potential of having a good foot care program. So be ready to take down some notes because these are a lot to handle for someone who’s already stressing out because they already have diabetes.
Diabetic’s Guide to spotting foot problems
You might want to have a check up with your physician regarding damage to your feet’s nerve endings and blood vessels if you have the following symptoms:
Persistent pain on the foot – This is a really good sign that one should look out for. If your shoes don’t fit or if you have any underlying infection that stubbornly refrains from wanting to heal itself. Other foot concerns might be increased sprains and bruises. This might effectively tell you that the tissue around your feet isn’t able to handle the stress that it is taking day in and day out.
Redness and infection – This is when you have a wound because of abnormal rubbing against one’s shoes and socks. Again, one should be looking out for stubborn wounds that refuse to heal.
Swelling – When this happens to one’s feet, it is the body’s way of telling us that there is an underlying inflammation or infection that is present. There could also be impaired blood circulation that is happening to the veins surrounding one’s foot.
Claudication – This is essentially a medical term for when you experience pain in your legs as well as buttocks when you involve yourself with walking. You’ll recognize this right away when the pain subsides whenever you rest.
Nonexistent hair – If you had some hair growing on some areas of your foot before and they’re no longer there, that is one telltale sign that you might be having complications to your foot. Be sure to observe for other aforementioned signs.
Hard shiny skin – If you have shiny but not supple skin on your legs, you might want to wipe that smirk off your face. Even though your skin may be shiny, the hardness that it is already attaining is a red flag for your foot and you could be a legitimate candidate for diabetic foot problem.
Fever and chills – This is a big sign that the worsening condition on your foot could already be on its advanced stages already. This is already a limb or life-threatening situation and you need immediate action when facing this. Be always on the lookout of any complications and be more sure that you’re going to visit the hospital as soon as possible.