Posts for tag: neuropathy
Foot ulcers are the most common reason people with diabetes are hospitalized. Foot ulcers are sores on feet that involve just the skin’s surface or they can develop into more serious wounds, which may lead to bone infections. Leg and foot ulcers are especially a problem for people with nerve damage, with vascular concerns, atherosclerosis, and sickle cell anemia. However, diabetes is the most common cause of ulcers.
Those with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing an ulcer for two main reasons. The first is peripheral neuropathy. This common complication of diabetes is a general loss of feeling. The nerves lose their ability to detect pain, heat, and cold. If the foot is injured, nerve damage may prevent from noticing the damage. Poor circulation is the other main reason diabetics develop ulcers. Blood increases in thickness, slowing its flow, therefore, causing poor circulation.
A foot ulcer appears like a red sore, most commonly found on the ball of the foot or under the big toe. If the wound is infected, pus and a bad odor typically occur. It is important to see a podiatrist as soon as an ulcer is noticed. Untreated foot ulcers can progress into gangrene and may lead to amputation. Treatment for foot ulcers depend on the severity of the wound. It typically involves debridement, off-loading, and dressings. Debridement is the process of removing dead skin and tissue. Off-loading uses pads or special shoes to take pressure off the ulcer area. Proper dressing and bandages are important to protect the area and provide an optimal healing environment. Ulcers may take weeks or even several months to heal. This depends on the general health of the patient and the severity of the wound.
To have your feet evaluated for foot ulcers or any other painful foot and ankle condition call 843-449-FOOT.
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a term used to describe nerve damage in the feet often associated with diabetes. Most of the time peripheral neuropathy can be felt as numbness, tremor, weakness, tingling, pain, itching, and pins and needles. These first pain symptoms can worsen to become so severe that patients cannot allow a bedsheet to touch their feet as they sleep. More commonly noticed is the area of numbness in the toes, slowly expands into the foot and leg.
These symptoms are a result of nerve loss. Nerves come in two forms, those relaying feeling information like pain, temperature, or touch and those relaying information to muscles to cause movement. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy usually starts with a loss of feeling with damage to the sensory fibers beginning at the place farthest from the brain: toes, feet, and legs. The numbness will not allow feeling of pain or temperature on the numb areas. As a result, infections develop more easily do to cuts, scrapes, or ulcers that go unnoticed.
There is no perfect treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy, which is why maintaining a healthy blood glucose level is important. For most people managing blood glucose levels will slow down or even prevent further nerve damage. This is not the case in everyone, as diabetic peripheral neuropathy is not always caused by poor glucose levels. Management of pain can be a large treatment concern. To combat the pain many doctors focus on prescription drugs that block or slow down pain receptors preventing or lessening the patient's pain. Newer treatments include Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) and Evening Primrose Oil (EPO). These newer treatments help reduce pain and inflammation as well as reduce nerve damage and may be worth talking to your doctor about. Since none of the treatment methods can reverse the damage due to nerves, it is important to practice excellent preventative care. This includes keeping your blood glucose in a healthy range and keeping your feet healthy with daily care and checking numb areas for sores.