Diabetes and the three tell tale signs in your feet you should not ignore
15.03.2022 - 23:51
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
Type 2 diabetes is a common condition causing blood sugar levels in the body to become too high, according to the NHS.
The condition is understood as lifelong and can lead to a number of other serious health conditions - including heart disease and increase risk of strokes.
Usually caused by a lack of insulin production throughout the body, type 2 diabetes can even be deadly if not managed correctly.
Spotting the signs of the disease could be critical, with one of those symptoms possibly emerging in the feet, according to The Express.
One infamous outcome of chronically high blood sugar is peripheral neuropathy, which can cause an onslaught of symptoms in the feet, where the nerves are most sensitive.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention explains: “Nerve damage is one possible complication from having high blood sugar levels for a long time.
“High blood sugar damages the nerves, and these nerves may stop sending messages to different parts of the body.”
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), redness, warmth and swelling could be three signs associated with nerve damage.
The condition, known as Charcot’s foot, can cause bony protrusions, changing the appearance of the foot.
Charcot’s foot, which decreases sensation and the ability to feel temperature, can also cause pain and trauma in the extremities.
“Later, bones in your feet and toes can shift or break, which can cause your feet to have an odd shape, such as a rocker bottom,” adds the NIDDK.
Often as the nerves stop working, individuals experience a loss of sensation, which means ulcers and cuts could easily go unnoticed.
But because diabetes also lowers the amount of blood flow to the body’s extremities, cuts can