What is diabetes?
Diabetes mellitus is a serious chronic condition where a person has too much glucose (sugar) in their blood. There are 2 main types of diabetes:
- Type 1: Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM)
- Type 2: Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)
Insulin and diabetes
You may have noticed the word insulin in the above paragraph. Insulin is a hormone present in the body that allows glucose (sugar) to get into the cells.
There can be various reasons why diabetes develops. Sometimes diabetes can be the result of genetics, but the main cause now is lifestyle.
In the modern world we often have lives where we do not have to exercise much and we have an abundance of food choices that may not be as good for our health. A diet that combines high sugar, high fat and low fibre, paired with a lack of exercise, can lead us to become overweight. It is this increase in the population’s weight that is driving the marked increase rate of diabetes.
What does diabetes do to the body?
Long-term poorly controlled high blood glucose levels can lead to damage to blood vessels and nerves. The blood vessels become blocked leading to poor circulation, and the nerves become damaged leading to a loss of the protective pain response. When blood glucose (sugar) levels are high, it also has a strong impact on how one’s white blood cells function. White blood cells play a major role in our immune response and allow the body to fight infection.
Why does diabetes damage the feet?
As diabetes can damage blood vessels, nerves and white blood cells, it will eventually lead to poor circulation to the feet, numbness in the feet and weak white blood cells.
This means people with diabetes cannot feel the damage developing on their feet, and once the damage is done the body cannot get blood down their feet to heal the damage. Then, when bacteria enter through wounds on the feet, effectively fighting an infection is no longer possible.
Once this scenario is present, ulcers can develop. If these ulcers are not identified and dealt with, there can be serious consequences for the feet. In some situations, if diabetes has been particularly poorly controlled and the feet are not checked, amputations may be necessary. It is these ulcers and amputations that we, as podiatrists, are trying to prevent.
Why do I need to see a podiatrist?
The first line of defense is having a healthy diet and exercising on a regular basis. As the feet are the most common region in the body to suffer the consequences of high glucose levels, it is imperative you look after your feet by:
- checking your feet regularly
- washing your feet thoroughly
- applying moisturiser
- cutting your toenails straight across, gently filing the toenails’ corners and not cutting down the side of your toenails
- visiting the podiatrist regularly.
What will the podiatrist do?
At Bio Allied Health our podiatrists will conduct an initial assessment, then review your feet typically every 8 weeks, however in young and healthy people who manage their health well, it may only require a yearly check-up, including:
- assessing the feet for any changes
- carrying out a circulation and sensation check
- carrying out a general treatment, with nails being carefully trimmed and filled, any callus, corn or hard skin trimmed, followed by application of moisturiser.
Our podiatrists will also show you how to assess your own feet and what you should do to avoid problems.
They will report back to your GP and, if foot issues are found, our podiatrists can be part of the multidisciplinary team that helps fix the problem.
Remember: the main aim is to prevent any foot problems.
If problems do occur though, it is essential these problems are managed quickly, as it does not take long for a minor problem to become a major problem.
Bio Allied Health accepts Chronic Disease Management (CDM) referrals, formerly known as Enhanced Primary Care (EPC), from your GP. This allows for a certain number of visits to a podiatrist to be covered by Medicare, as diabetes is classified as a chronic disease.
Read more articles about foot and ankle conditions