Diabetic Foot Ulcers- Their connection to neuropathy?

According to the CDC, almost 24 million Americans have diabetes. That is merely an estimate! And, in addition, it is reported that about , six million of those individuals are undiagnosed. Along with diabetes, there are several other complications that may lead to serious conditions, including diabetic foot ulcers.

Patients with diabetes have a 15%-25% lifetime risk for developing a foot ulcer. Why and how does this happen? One of the common findings in patients with diabetes is diabetic neuropathy. This may manifest itself in the form of tingling and numbness in the fingers and toes. In the foot, patients describe the feeling of neuropathy as sharp shooting pain, tingling, burning, or just plain numbness. Due to the lack of sensation, an area of increased friction due to a bony prominence or an ill fitting shoe can easily break down the skin. In a person without diabetes, the breakdown of skin can be a blister or corn or callus and the person would feel pain. The pain would signal the nondiabetic person to remove their shoe, inspect the wound, or seek medical help. However in a diabetic patient with neuropathy, he or she is unable to feel any pain, blistering, or infection until is too late. An open sore forms, or an ulceration, and in this case, when an ulceration occurs, the risk for infection is present and may range in severity from a superficial area to one that pervades the bone. Infection is the leading risk factor for amputation among those with diabetic foot ulcers.

So please, if you are diabetic, seek help from a foot specialist. For example at our clinic, Prairie Path Foot and Ankle Clinic, we take pride in serving our diabetic patients with the utmost care. Your primary care doctor should check your feet at every visit, and you as a patient should be checking your feet daily as well. A visit to our office will put you at ease and answer any questions you may have about diabetic foot care and prevention. Leave your feet it in our hands!