Our Brooksville Podiatrist Can Help Keep Your Diabetic Feet Healthy
Living with diabetes can affect all areas of your life—including your feet! At Chapel Podiatry, our experienced Brooksville podiatrist can help you take proper care of your feet and improve your quality of life. Our cost-effective solutions allow you to avoid costly future complications. Don’t wait to seek treatment until it's too late. Learn how we can help keep your feet healthy.
The Importance of Diabetic Foot Care
Diabetes affects your feet in ways you might not expect. High blood sugar levels can damage your nerves and blood vessels, leading to neuropathy. This type of nerve damage causes a loss of sensation in your feet, making it difficult to feel pain, heat, or cold. As a result, you may not notice cuts, blisters, or other injuries until they become infected.
Additionally, diabetes can reduce blood flow to your feet, slowing down the healing process and increasing the risk of infections. Reduced sensation and poor circulation make proper foot care essential for those with diabetes.
Regular foot care from our Brooksville podiatrist can help you keep your feet feeling their best. We can help:
- Stop infections and ulcers before they start
- Catch issues early, saving you pain and worry
- Keep you moving and independent
- Reduce your risk for amputation
- Improve your overall quality of life
Signs It is Time to See Our Podiatrist
We recommend seeing our Brooksville podiatrist for a regular check-up to ensure the health of your diabetic feet. The following are signs that indicate it is time to schedule an appointment at Chapel Podiatry:
- Numbness or tingling in your feet or toes
- Changes in the color, temperature, or shape of your feet
- Swelling in your feet or ankles
- Pain in your legs when walking or standing
- Ingrown toenails or fungal infections
- Cuts or sores that are slow to heal
- Deep cracks in the skin, especially around the heel
- Loss of hair on your toes, feet, or lower legs
Common Types of Diabetic Foot Complications
It is important to understand what types of complications are associated with diabetes so you can take proactive steps with your foot care. Some common diabetic foot complications include:
- Diabetic neuropathy. This nerve damage can lead to loss of sensation in your feet.
- Peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Reduced blood flow to the feet can slow healing and increase infection risk.
- Foot ulcers. These open sores that don't heal properly are common complications for those with diabetes. If left untreated, they can quickly become more serious and lead to infections.
- Charcot foot. This condition occurs when the bones in the foot become weak and can break easily, leading to deformities.
- Infections. Due to reduced immunity and slow healing, people with diabetes are at a higher risk for foot infections.
- Gangrene. In severe cases, lack of blood flow to the feet can cause tissue death, potentially leading to amputation.
Types of Treatment Options for Diabetic Feet
At our Brooksville podiatry office, we offer a range of affordable treatment options tailored to our patient's specific needs. As part of your treatment, we may recommend the following:
- Regular foot exams. Seeing our podiatrist regularly to have your feet examined is vital when you have diabetes or a history of foot problems. Regular foot exams can often detect problems at their earliest stages.
- Custom orthotics. Custom-made shoe inserts can help distribute pressure evenly across your feet and reduce the risk of ulcers and calluses.
- Wound care. Our advanced wound care treatments can promote the healing of foot ulcers so you can avoid complications such as infection.
- Nail care. We can trim your toenails to prevent painful and sometimes infected ingrown nails.
- Patient education. We provide comprehensive education on daily foot care routines, including proper cleaning, moisturizing, and self-examination techniques for our patients with diabetes.
- Medication management. In some cases, our Brooksville podiatrist may prescribe medications to treat infections or manage pain.
- Surgical interventions. For severe cases, surgical procedures may be necessary to correct deformities or remove infected tissue.
Proper foot care is essential for preserving your quality of life when you have diabetes. At Chapel Podiatry, we're committed to keeping your feet healthy and supporting your overall well-being.