Diabetes brings about a litany of complications, and among those that are most immediately apparent are to the lower limbs. Diabetes can cause reduced blood flow to the legs and feet – often referred to as peripheral vascular disease. This can lead to severe pain, cold and discolored lower legs and feet, slow healing wounds, as well as aching in the buttocks, thighs or calves when walking.
Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) shows that an estimated 1.2 million Australians – at least 4.9 percent of the total population – have been diagnosed with diabetes. However, the non-government organization Diabetes Queensland pegs the statistic more toward 1.8 million – as it accounts for likely upwards of 500,000 cases of type 2 diabetes that go undiagnosed in Australia.
Every five minutes, someone is diagnosed with diabetes, which adds up to almost 300 new patients every day – as it stands, the illness is the seventh most common cause of death by disease in Australia. In this country, one in four adults over the age of 25 is living with either diabetes or pre-diabetes.
In Queensland, it is the 12th most significant cause of disease burden – complications brought about by the ailment being among the leading causes of hospitalization, significantly impacting a patient’s long-term health and wellbeing. The National Diabetes Register reports that 5 percent of Queensland adults have diabetes based on blood measurements – predominantly suffering from type 2 adult-onset diabetes at 87 percent of the cases. In the suburb of Albion here in Brisbane, 4.4 percent are registered diabetes patients with the National Diabetes Services Scheme.
Seeing a podiatrist can significantly help prevent that. Podiatrists often referred to simply as “foot doctors” are medical practitioners who specialize in treating persistent problems and injuries that may affect the feet or lower legs. Podiatry, or podiatric medicine, is an essential branch of medicine devoted to the study, diagnosis, and medical and surgical treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and lower extremity.
There’s a host of diabetes symptoms that signal you need to see your local podiatry specialist immediately, among them: Numbness and swelling of the foot or ankle, dry cracks in the skin around the heel, bleeding corns and calluses, skin discoloration, as well as slow-healing open sores on the feet. If you notice any of these warning signs, seek the medical attention of a podiatrist immediately. Here’s how your friendly neighborhood “foot doctor” in Albion can help alleviate the pain from your diabetes.
Though they carry our entire body weight and make it possible for us to go places, our feet are among our most easily taken for granted – sometimes even neglected – body parts. Care is needed, especially when you’re suffering from diabetes; the ailment’s complications can largely hamper your day-to-day mobility.
Considering your symptoms, your podiatrist will prescribe a daily foot care regimen tailored specifically to your needs – whether it be to lessen the buildup of calluses, manage swelling, or help alleviate pain.
Part of the immediate care routine that will be given to you are: Washing your feet daily and drying thoroughly between the toes, check your lower limbs for signs of swelling, redness, or heat, and moisturizing dry skin. This is just the tip of the iceberg, however, as your podiatrist will likely prescribe a care treatment that is customized to your unique needs and complaints.
People with diabetes are at extremely high risk of developing major foot problems because of this something as simple as choosing a new pair of comfortable shoes may be a tough task from those suffering from poorly controlled blood sugar.
Seeing a podiatrist, you’ll likely be prescribed a pair of specialized therapeutic shoes. Wearing specially designed shoes can exponentially help reduce injury risks and promote healthy circulation in your feet.
Therapeutic shoes, sometimes also called extra-depth or sugar shoes – even coming in the form of shoe inserts – are specially designed to reduce the risk of skin breakdown in people with diabetes with pre-existing foot disease. Some advanced podiatry clinics even have the state-of-the-art equipment digitally 3D scan your foot to produce orthotics that conform to the unique contours of your feet.
Routine diabetic foot care and regular consultations with your podiatrist will hopefully lead to better keeping your foot pain at bay in the long-run. Podiatrists are specially-trained experts in looking after the feet and lower limbs. They are highly skilled health professionals who deal with the prevention, diagnosis, and management of foot problems and pain.
Some may turn to home remedies for recurring feet aches, but it’s never advisable to treat ailments like corns, calluses, and swelling on your own, without professional care. See your local podiatrist today so you can quickly get back up on your feet.
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