Beware of the "foot crisis" behind diabetes! Here's what you need to know about diabetic foot

Many diabetic patients know that blood sugar control is important, but they tend to ignore a serious complication - diabetic foot.

Recently, a special patient came to the Anesthesia and Surgery Department of Hunan Second People's Hospital (Hunan Brain Hospital). Aunt Li had been troubled by foot problems for many years and finally had to undergo surgery. Once diabetic foot occurs, it is not only difficult to treat, but may also lead to amputation, seriously affecting the quality of life. It is crucial for diabetic patients to understand diabetic foot and take good prevention measures.

1. What is diabetic foot?

Diabetic foot is a condition in which diabetic patients suffer from distal nerve abnormalities in the lower limbs and varying degrees of vascular disease, leading to foot infection, ulcers, and/or deep tissue damage. Simply put, if diabetes is not well controlled for a long time, high blood sugar will slowly "erode" the nerves and blood vessels in the feet. After nerve damage, the feet become dull to pain, cold and heat, and sometimes they don't even notice when they are injured; vascular disease will cause insufficient blood supply to the feet, making it difficult for wounds to heal and prone to infection. These problems interact with each other and may develop into diabetic foot.

2. What are the symptoms of diabetic foot?

In the early stages of diabetic foot, patients often feel cold skin on their feet, especially in winter, even with a thick blanket, their feet are always cold. They may also feel numb, like wearing gloves or socks, and not sensitive to touch or squeeze. When walking, they may have intermittent claudication, and after walking for a while, their calves or feet will swell and ache, which will be relieved after rest, but will recur if they continue walking.

As the disease progresses, ulcers will appear on the feet, mostly on the toes, heels or soles. These ulcers may be just a small blister or broken skin at first, but due to nerve and blood vessel problems, they are difficult to heal and are easily infected by bacteria, causing redness, swelling, exudation, suppuration, and even a foul odor. If the infection is severe, it will also cause systemic symptoms such as fever and chills. Further development may lead to osteomyelitis and sepsis, which are life-threatening.

3. How to prevent diabetic foot?

1. Strictly control blood sugar: This is the fundamental way to prevent diabetic foot. Patients should follow the doctor's advice, take hypoglycemic drugs or inject insulin on time, monitor blood sugar regularly, adjust the treatment plan according to the blood sugar situation, and keep blood sugar stable within the normal range for a long time.

2. Daily foot care: Wash your feet with warm water (no more than 40℃) every day, check your feet for redness, swelling, blisters, damage and other abnormalities, and gently dry them with a soft towel after washing, especially between the toes. Choose suitable shoes and socks. The shoes should be loose, breathable and fit well. Avoid wearing high heels and pointed shoes. Choose cotton socks with good water absorption. Don't wear socks that are too tight to avoid affecting blood circulation.

3. Regular check-ups: Diabetic patients should go to the hospital regularly for foot examinations, including lower limb vascular ultrasound, nerve function tests, etc., so as to detect problems early and intervene in time.

Dr. Chen Sihua, a hand and foot surgeon, said: Although diabetic foot is scary, as long as diabetic patients are vigilant, actively control blood sugar, take good care of their feet and have regular check-ups, they can effectively reduce the risk of diabetic foot and have a healthy life.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Wu Zhang, Department of Anesthesiology and Surgery, Hunan Second People's Hospital (Hunan Brain Hospital)

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(Edited by Wx)