Blood sugar out of control, legs and feet first? Doctors remind: pay attention to these 5 changes

You may have heard that high blood sugar levels can cause various symptoms, but these symptoms are often not obvious. Fortunately, our bodies actually have their own "blood sugar meters" - our legs and feet. Today, let's learn how to prevent and control blood sugar and stay healthy by observing changes in our legs and feet.

Why are legs and feet used as “blood sugar meters”?

When blood sugar levels exceed the standard, blood vessels are often the first to be damaged, especially small blood vessels .

In an environment of persistent high blood sugar, the lining of blood vessels will be damaged, glycoproteins will be deposited, causing the blood vessel walls to thicken , affecting blood flow.

Because the legs and feet are far away from the heart, blood circulation is relatively poor. When the blood vessel lumen becomes smaller, the symptoms of ischemia will become more obvious, thus releasing a series of warning signals.

Beware! 5 changes in your legs and feet indicate blood sugar is out of control

1. Wounds are not easy to heal

High blood sugar levels can affect wound healing because wounds do not receive adequate nutrition and the skin's ability to repair itself is reduced. If skin lesions occur, they may not heal.

In addition, when blood sugar is out of control, painless blisters may appear, which are more common on the legs and feet.

2. Itching

Increased blood sugar can stimulate the peripheral nerves of the skin and cause itching, especially in the hands and feet, sometimes accompanied by a " crawl-like" feeling . Symptoms may be more obvious at night .

3. Numbness in legs and feet

Chronic high blood sugar levels can damage the nervous system and cause numbness or tingling in the legs and feet , which is a sign of impaired blood circulation.

4. Sugar spots appear

Clearly defined brown patches appear on the front of the calf , which are relatively specific skin lesions of diabetes.

5. Cracked skin

High blood sugar damages the autonomic nervous system, reduces sweat gland secretion, and causes the skin to become abnormally dry and even crack.

Controlling sugar levels requires not only “lowering” but also “stabilizing”

Controlling blood sugar not only requires lowering blood sugar levels, but also maintaining blood sugar stability. Lower blood sugar levels are not necessarily better. Excessive fluctuations can lead to the accelerated onset of complications, such as large vessel lesions such as myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction, as well as small vessel lesions such as fundus hemorrhage and renal impairment.

Practical methods to control sugar levels↓

1. Add coarse grains to the staple food: Replace some refined rice and flour with coarse grains, such as potatoes, corn, yam, brown rice , etc., which can help delay the rise in blood sugar after meals.

2. Choose "hard" foods: Choose foods that are not soft enough and need to be chewed carefully , which is helpful to stabilize blood sugar.

3. Chew slowly: Eating a meal for more than 30 minutes can help increase satiety and prevent large fluctuations in blood sugar after meals.

4. Adjust the order of eating: eat vegetables and meat first, and then eat the staple food when you are almost halfway through eating . This will help control blood sugar after meals.

5. Eat fruits healthily: pay attention to the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) of fruits, and choose fruits that increase blood sugar slowly, such as apples, pears, peaches , etc.

6. Simplify cooking methods: Avoid over-processed foods. For example, mashed potatoes have a higher glycemic index than boiled potatoes.

7. Eat breakfast and dinner early: Eat breakfast before 8 o'clock to prevent hypoglycemia; eat dinner before 7 o'clock in the evening to help reduce insulin resistance.

8. Make exercise a habit: Regular exercise, such as aerobic and resistance exercise, helps lower blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity.

In short, changes in the legs and feet are important signals from the body, especially for blood sugar management. Through careful observation and positive lifestyle changes, we can better control blood sugar and prevent complications.