You've Lost That Lovely Feeling

As the number of diabetic patients rapidly increases in our country, the symptoms and ailments that are associated with it are too becoming widespread. Peripheral neuropathy is a neurological disorder that is caused by damage to peripheral nerves. Because of the nerve length in the leg down to the foot, these are often targeted first in the body. Diabetic neuropathy causes are varied and can include metabolic factors, such as high blood glucose, long duration of diabetes, abnormal blood fat levels, and low levels of insulin. Blood vessels that give nutrients to the nerves become compromised and cause them to die off.

This all sounds kind of scary, so how do you know if you have it? Well often patients experience sensory and motor deficits. The main symptom is partial or complete loss of sensation in the toes, foot, or ankle. Patients also describe a burning, tingling, or prickling pain. This loss of sensation can lead to other problems of the foot and ankle, such as ulcers. If you can’t feel your feet, you also can’t feel them if you are damaging them. This could be from a sunburn, stepping on a nail, or a shoe wear issue. A sore or cut could then progress to a serious wound infection. And this is where the nice guys at a Foot Associates of Central Texas come in.

If the patient is a diabetic, your podiatrist will try to prevent the neuropathy and advocate for good diabetes management. If the neuropathy cause is from a compression force, they will want to remove that force impinging on the nerve. Also make sure that your shoes have a wide toe box to accommodate your toes to prevent any sores. And as always, for this or any other foot and ankle problem, come by and see Dr.Grimm or Dr.Pattison.