Considering there are 29+ million people in the United States who have diabetes—along with the 86 million adults over the age of 20 who have prediabetes—the disease is clearly a major concern. Diabetes causes wide-ranging issues throughout the body, but far too little attention is given to the lower limbs. This can be a major mistake, however.

Treating Skin Conditions When You Have Diabetes | Surprise, AZ Diabetic Foot Care Podiatrist

With diabetes raising the risk for kidney failure, blindness, heart attacks, and strokes, we understand how foot health might not seem terribly important and can get lost in the shuffle. The problem with this is the fact diabetic foot ulcers have a mortality rate surpassing the rates for colon, prostate, and breast cancers!

Small issues can quickly escalate into major problems in the lower limbs. This means you should know what is entailed with treating skin conditions when you have diabetes.

Before we talk about treatment, let’s start by looking at why skin conditions are a problem.

Diabetic Skin Condition Risks

As you likely know, diabetes is a condition caused by too much sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream. This situation—heightened blood glucose levels—creates problems in various body systems (including the immune, circulatory, and nervous systems). More specifically, excess blood sugar causes constriction in blood vessels, damages nerve tissues, and impairs white blood cells that fight infection.

With all the systemic damage from diabetes, anything unusual can become a serious problem. Regarding skin conditions specifically, two main concerns are the fact some are caused by microorganisms (which an impaired immune system is less capable of fighting off) and others create openings in the body’s outer layer of protection. Openings are pathways that enable bacteria and viruses to get inside and really cause some severe damage.

What that means is treatment for skin conditions is absolutely essential when diabetes is in the picture, especially early treatment. When conditions have been left unaddressed, they can escalate quickly into emergency situations. Skin breakdown (ulceration) from this disease is a leading cause of limb amputation. Further, diabetic foot ulcers can even put your life at risk.

Treating Diabetic Skin Problems

The nature of the treatment for a skin condition will certainly depend on the situation (what is happening, how long the problem has been present, etc.). Something that is not situation-dependent is the fact that you should seek professional care for any health problem that arises. Even something that might not seem like a really big problem—ingrown toenails, calluses, tiny scrapes—is actually very concerning for a diabetic individual.

A key component to keeping feet safe is to have a comprehensive diabetic foot care plan in place. This plan needs to be centered on preventing problems, detecting them early (when they do arise), and then seeking treatment at the earliest possible opportunity. You can perform diabetic foot checks at home. Part of this also includes regularly-scheduled appointments with our office (so we can make sure there are no concerning issues).

If you need to create a diabetic foot care plan, have discovered a potential problem and need treatment, or simply have any questions regarding this important matter, simply contact our Surprise, AZ office. You can either take advantage of our online form to connect with us or call (623) 584-5556 and speak with one of our team members.
Dr. Peyman A. Elison
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Founder and Managing Partner of Fixing Feet Institute
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