Why is foot care important if I have diabetes?

A common complication of diabetes is peripheral neuropathy - loss of feeling in the feet and toes. Patients can have sharp objects lodged in their feet without feeling them and these objects can result in infection and possible amputation. Watch this video to learn more.

Foot care is especially important for people with diabetes, because they are prone to poor blood circulation and nerve disease in the extremities. In addition, people with diabetes are likely to develop infections that often appear in the feet.

Even small sores can turn into serious problems quickly. Any foot sore or callus should be checked by your diabetes care provider or podiatrist. Don’t try to treat any foot problems yourself.

If your foot gets cut, it can get infected. This matters because diabetes makes infections heal very slowly. If a foot infection gets ahead of you, it can evolve into an ulcer: a nasty, puss-y, gross, open sore. The problem is that many people with diabetes, especially if they've had it for a long time, don't have much sensation in their feet.

It's possible to have a foot ulcer and not feel it at all. So if you don't look at the bottom of your feet, you won't know if you've got one. If a foot ulcer goes to the next level, it becomes gangrene. In med-speak this is called tissue necrosis. Dead flesh. We can't fix dead flesh; it has to be cut off.