Contact your health care provider immediately if you experience any of these.
Any trauma to your legs and feet, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem, needs immediate medical attention.
People with diabetes need to be especially cautious about fever. The degree of fever does not necessarily correlate with the seriousness of infection. Diabetics could have no fever/very low fever and still have a serious infection.
- Numbness or a tingling sensation in the feet
- Changes in temperature especially in your feet and toes
- Shooting/Sharp pain that may be worse at night
- A burning/hot sensation in the feet
- Extreme sensitivity to slightest touch-even the weight of bed sheets can be agonizing.
- Loss of balance or difficulty walking
- Feet sweating less than usual
- Cold or pale feet- sign of acute loss of blood circulation. Needs emergency management.
- Loss of hair on feet or legs
- Thickened toe nails
- Cramps/pain in your calves and buttocks when walking and relieved with rest. This condition is called intermittent claudication.
- Hard and shiny skin on legs
- Redness
- Swelling
- Warmth
- Pain or tenderness
- Drainage of pus
- Itchiness
- Thick, yellowish, hard to cut toenails
- Unusual or persistent foot odor
- Any sign on the diabetes check list above
The good news about managing diabetic foot complications is that it’s all up to YOU. So take back the control. Keeping your blood glucose in check, daily foot care, early identification of a foot problem and early intervention to prevent further deterioration are the key to minimizing serious long term foot damage caused by diabetes.
In conclusion, as a diabetic it is very important for you to learn as much as possible about routine diabetic foot care as it plays the biggest role in preventing foot ulcers.
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