Diabetes is a serious disease that affects millions of Americans, and that number is going to astronomically grow as the baby boomer generation ages further. Complications associated with diabetes can be devastating, and can lead to organ failure and even death. Foot-related complications in particular are very common in diabetes, and unfortunately cause the majority of leg amputations performed by surgeons. Comprehensive care by a podiatrist can identify foot problems early before they lead to leg loss, and in many cases can prevent those problems in the first place. This article will discuss the ways a podiatrist can protect diabetic feet, and ultimately save a diabetic’s limb and life.

Diabetes is a disease in which glucose, the body’s main source of ‘fuel’, is not properly absorbed into the body’s tissues and remains stuck in the bloodstream. Glucose is a type of ‘sugar’ derived from the body’s digestion of carbohydrates (grains, breads, pastas, sugary food, fruits, starches, and dairy) The body needs a hormone called insulin, which is produced in the pancreas, to coax the glucose into body tissue to fuel it. Some diabetics are born with or develop at a young age an inability to produce insulin, resulting in type 1 diabetes. The majority of diabetics develop their disease as they become much older, and the ability of insulin to coax glucose into tissue wanes due to a sort of resistance to or an ineffectiveness of the action of insulin. This is called type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can also develop from high dose steroid use, during pregnancy (where it is temporary), or after pancreas disease or certain infections. The high concentration of glucose in the blood that remains out of the body tissue in diabetes can cause damage to parts all over the body. Organs and tissue that slowly are damaged by high concentrations of glucose stuck in the blood include the heart, the kidneys, blood vessels, the brain, the nerve tissue, skin, and the immune and injury repair cells. The higher the concentration of glucose in the blood, and the longer this glucose is present in the blood in an elevated state, the more damage will occur. Death can occur with severe levels of glucose in the blood stream, although this is not the case in most diabetics. Most diabetics who do not control their blood glucose well develop tissue damage over a long period of time, and serious disease, organ failure, and the potential for leg loss does eventually arrive, although not right away.

» Read more: Diabetes And Feet: Why A Podiatrist Is A Vital Part Of A Diabetic’s Care