Diabetic foot syndrome is a syndrome suffered by a large number of patients with diabetes mellitus, being one of the most frequent complications along with retinopathy and nephropathy. Diabetic neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease precede the formation of foot ulcers.
If these ulcers suffer any complication, whether due to infection, inadequate treatment or other causes, they increase the likelihood of amputation (responsible for much of the mortality of diabetes).
What are the signs and symptoms of ulcers?
The fact of suffering an ulcer is already an indication of diabetic foot, since they are usually caused by a traumatic antecedent not perceived by the patient (due to neuropathy), by a deficient blood supply (due to arterial disease) or by both.
However, even if there is no ulcer, neuropathic symptoms (night cramps, tingling, loss of sensation, dryness, muscle atrophy) and vascular symptoms (abnormal temperature and/or coloration, absence of hair) can be found.
What are the causes of diabetic foot?
Poor control of the disease together with several lifestyle-related risk factors: poor diet, smoking, alcoholism, lack of hygiene, etc. In addition, if the patient is predisposed to overloading specific areas of the foot due to biomechanics, inadequate footwear or risky movements, it will be much more likely to end up developing an ulcer.
What is the risk for diabetics?
The main risk is to suffer an ulcer with low healing capacity, which can precede the dreaded lower limb amputations. This risk is multiplied if the patient is physically active but does not take preventive attitudes.
How can it be prevented?
With an annual or biannual examination (depending on the risk); not going barefoot or wearing shoes without socks; not wearing thin-soled shoes; inspecting the foot and shoes daily, keeping them hydrated; drying the toes after wetting them; cutting the nails properly; and last but not least: going to a podiatrist, the most qualified health professional to treat this pathology.