10 easy diabetic foot care

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10 easy diabetic foot care
10 easy diabetic foot care
Anonim

The diabetic foot is one of the most common and severe complications of diabetes. The main reasons for its development are damage to the peripheral nerves and vessels of the legs. Amputation of a part of a limb in people with diabetes mellitus is 25 times more common than in others. In order not to reach this extreme measure, timely diagnosis, prevention and treatment are necessary.

The first interdisciplinary Department for "Prevention and Treatment of Diabetic Foot", where patients receive competent opinion from 3 specialists - an endocrinologist, a vascular surgeon and a neurologist, was opened in the Plovdiv clinic "Medicus Alpha". Consultations are carried out by Dr. Maria Miteva - specialist in endocrinology and metabolic diseases, Dr. Alexander Plachkov - specialist in general and vascular surgery and neurologist Dr. Antoineta Nedeleva.

“We examine diabetics who already have problems with their feet, as well as those diagnosed with this disease who would like to undergo preventive examinations, instrumental and laboratory tests to assess whether and to what extent they are impaired their circulation and innervation. We have many options before surgery to improve the condition of the lower limbs, said vascular surgeon Dr. Plachkov.

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He and the neurologist Dr. Nedeleva point out that through screening with triplex Doppler and EMG-electromyography, even the earliest changes in the blood supply and innervation of the lower limbs can be detected, and to what extent they need prevention and treatment. Dr. Plachkov also added that patients who are found to have high-grade stenoses in the course of the research will be offered an additional computer-tomographic angiography of the limbs and, if necessary, subsequent vascular reconstructive operations in order to preserve the affected leg.

Doctors make a collaborative decision about the therapeutic behavior for the specific patient. "Depending on the degree of chronic arterial insufficiency of the limb, a wide range of medications can be used, and in an advanced process, surgical treatment is often required. In the presence of foot ulcers, various conservative therapies can also be applied, depending on the type and severity," adds endocrinologist Dr. Miteva.

All three specialists point out that in this "Diabetic Foot" Sector, patients are examined for active follow-up and useful feedback with a doctor. Diabetics are taught what foods and supplements they can take, how to self-monitor, what signs to watch for, what lifestyle to lead.

Doctors recommend:

1. Check your feet daily for red spots, injuries, swelling

2. Wash your feet every day

3. After washing, the feet should be well dried and smeared with a thin layer of moisturizing cream, so that the skin is optimally moist. Oils or creams should not be applied between the toes, as extra moisture there can lead to infection, most commonly fungal

4. Calluses should not be removed manually by any mechanical means. Be careful not to damage the feet when cutting the nails, rough cuticles around the nail, as well as on the feet, ingrown nails

5. Do not walk barefoot on uneven and rough surfaces. Protect your feet from injury

6. Wear comfortable shoes that protect your feet. Check the shoe by hand for pebbles, hem, or other foreign bodies

7. Protect your feet from hot. Wear shoes on the beach or on hot pavement. Do not put your feet in hot water. The feet should never be warmed with heating pads, because burns may occur if the sensitivity is impaired

8. Protect your feet from the cold. Do not allow the feet to get cold or frostbite. Use soft and wide socks while sleeping during the cold months

9. To improve blood flow in the legs - keep your legs up when sitting and lying down, move your toes and ankles up and down for 5 minutes, two or three times a day, do not cross your legs for long periods of time

10. Stop smoking in all its forms

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What are the risk factors for diabetic foot, summarizes endocrinologist Dr. Miteva:

Peripheral neuropathy causes numbness, pain and weakness in the feet, but it can also lead to complete loss of sensation in the feet. Nerve damage can also cause changes in the shape of the toes and feet, necessitating the wearing of custom orthotic insoles and shoes.

“Diabetes leads to peripheral vascular disease - narrowing and hardening of the blood vessels in the legs. Poor circulation makes it difficult to treat infections and is a major reason for the higher risk of amputations. The main symptoms are cold feet, pain and lameness when walking or climbing, which disappears when you stop to rest for a few minutes. Besides high blood sugar, other risk factors are: smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

“Diabetes can cause changes in the skin of the feet. The nerves that control the moisture and oiliness of the skin on the feet are damaged. The skin becomes very dry and easily wounded, calluses appear more often. Altered tissue nutrition in these areas predisposes to rapid deterioration and deepening of wounds. Ulcers occur most often on pressure points on the foot. Neglecting ulcers can lead to infections, which in turn can lead to limb loss.

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