Diabetic Education & Instructions

• High glucose AKA “sugars” can severely affect your Blood flow, Skin, & Nerves.
• High Glucose causes your arteries to change from supple elastic tubes to hard/narrow pipes which significantly decreases your blood flow to your legs, feet, & toes.
• High Glucose causes skin to lose elasticity and becomes more rigid which causes friction & forms calluses. Calluses put more pressure on the tissue beneath them leading to tissue destruction, skin breakdown, ulcers, & amputations.
• High Glucose causes your nerve cells to breakdown leading to decreased

feeling & eventually complete loss of protective sensation. In the early stages of neuropathy you may experience a burning/tingling pain but still have some of your protective sensation. Overtime it can progress to more severe stages where you may lose the burning/tingling pains but have no protective sensation at all.

Why do I have to get my glucose down below 120 mg/dl?
The human body is designed to run on an average glucose level under 120mg/dl. People without diabetes have a glucose range between 60-110 mg/dl.

They have controlled glucose levels which do Not cause low blood flow, weak skin, or loss of sensation leading to ulcers/infections/amputations.

Therefore if you gradually lower your glucose over time and eventually get it below 120 mg/dl on a consistent basis you can reduce your risk of ulcers/infections/amputations.

 

Preventative Medicine is the Best Medicine

• It can take months or years to heal a diabetic foot wound due to decreased blood flow, weak skin, and loss of sensation… which are the same reasons that caused the wound in the first place. Not to mention travel time, gas, money, bills, stress, etc.
• You need to take care of your own feet/body/mind by doing normal preventive hygiene:
• Wear Diabetic Shoes/Insoles at All times, including your home(No bedroom slippers).
• Wear clean,dry socks with all shoes & change as necessary to prevent your shoes from becoming a saturated environment for fungal & bacterial infections.
• Remove debris from inside the shoes & inspect the insoles for breakdown on a daily basis.
• Moisturize your legs & feet everywhere except between the toes.
  Use a Pumice Stone to remove calluses every day after showers when they are soft.
• See your Podiatric foot and ankle specialist on a regular basis for preventative care.

• Quit Smoking which significantly reduces blood flow to your extremities.

What looks better… A foot inside a diabetic shoe or an Amputation?

We at Family Foot & Leg Center, P.A.  provide diabetic patients with health consultations supported by a number of state-of-the-art services. Visit us at NaplesPodiatrist.com or visit any of our offices located at Goodlette Medical Park, North Naples (111 Ave), and East Naples (Tamiami Trail East) or call us at 239 430 3668 (FOOT)

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