The diabetic foot is a set of pathological alterations that encompasses both the lack of blood supply to the limb and the injury of the nerve cords that transmit sensitivity to the foot, facilitating bone degeneration and infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissues with lesions and ulcers that are very difficult to treat in the toes and soles of the feet.
Symptoms
Decreased circulation in the arteries causes the foot to receive less oxygen and nutrients, predisposing it to decreased neurological sensitivity, deformity lesions, wounds and ulcers that are easily infected.
In a first phase, there is an alteration of the skin coloration and a decrease of the superficial touch. The patient also usually has pain in the calves when walking or pain in the foot during night rest that is relieved by walking. There may also be joint and bone pain in the sole of the foot due to degeneration or infection of the bones of the foot.
Injuries
After the phase of altered coloration, ranging from pallor to chronic reddening of the skin, nail disorders are also observed, as the nails thicken or fall off and present small lesions under the nail and ulcers of various types which, in turn, cause fistulas to the bone. At this stage, lack of response to treatment leads to more or less extensive amputations.
Prevention
First of all, the possibility of diabetes should be controlled. It is important to eliminate risk factors that also cause arteriosclerosis, such as hypertension, smoking and cholesterol, since their association potentiates the vascular aggression of diabetes. People with a direct history of diabetes are advised to have at least one blood test per year from the age of 50 onwards.
Regarding the prevention of diabetic foot development, if diabetic arterial disease is known, strict foot hygiene is necessary, using moisturizing creams, controlling nails and wearing comfortable and wide shoes to avoid rubbing and injuries due to skin insensitivity.