Diabetes
affects the lives of nearly 26 million people in the United States and nearly
seven million don’t even know they have the disease yet.
Podiatrist
plays a key role in helping patients manage diabetes successfully and avoid
foot-related complications and are an important part of your diabetes
management team.
The keys to amputation prevention are early
recognition and regular foot screenings performed by a podiatrist.
The role of a podiatrist in diabetic foot care
ranges from regular prevention and education to identifying and treating
problems before they get out of hand. In
the extreme cases, it can be about helping control an infection and attempting
to save a limb
Podiatrists play a very critical and often
underestimated role in the care of diabetics. Diabetes is what is referred to
as a "small vessel" disease, meaning that it may affect both the
larger blood vessels but also effects the smaller blood vessels like those in
the eye and toes as opposed to our larger vessels. Diabetes also effects
affects the nerves, bones, skin and all aspects of the foot. In many instances
the serious problems that diabetics can get in their feet can often be avoided
with the good foot care a podiatrist is best qualified to offer. There are many
who now specialize in diabetic foot problems.
Podiatrists
play a key role in providing appropriate foot care for people with diabetes. A
person with diabetes should have a comprehensive diabetic foot examination by a
podiatrist on a yearly basis. Depending on the findings on the comprehensive
diabetic foot examination based on the risk status of the person, a regular
schedule of foot care should be set up. For those persons with diabetes and no
risk--yearly foot examinations are fine. For others, depending on their risk
status they may need to be seen more frequently. This is the basis for regular
scheduled examinations and foot care, but any acute problems should be
evaluated immediately. The greatest danger is for those with diabetes that have
lost the ability to sense pain in other words they have the loss of protective
sensation (peripheral neuropathy). These persons need to be extremely careful
and have their feet inspected daily by themselves or a family member to look for
any areas of redness, irritation, cuts or sores.
Podiatrists are an important member of the team
of providers providing care for people with diabetes. Studies have established
that including podiatrists in the care of people with diabetes leads to less lower
extremity complications. Prevention is essential in preventing serious diabetic
foot problems.
Each year more than 65,000 lower limbs are
amputated due to complications from diabetes. By including a podiatrist in your
diabetes care you can reduce the risk of lower limb amputation by up to 85%.
Podiatrists play an integral role in amputation prevention by performing
regular foot screenings and early recognition. For example, a podiatrist will
look for the following diabetes warning signs
1) Dry cracks in the skin
2) Ingrown and fungal toenails
3)
Numbness in the feet or toes
4) Open
sores on the feet that are slow to heal
5)
Swelling of the foot or ankle
6) Pain in the legs
7) Skin
color changes
8)
Bleeding corns and calluses.
----------
Dr . Tarik Torki
Diabetic Foot Specialist
& Foot
Care Specialist
Saudi Arabia – Riyadh
0562154241
Khuris Street – In Front of Pakistanian Airline
Info@diabeticfootarabia.com
Saudi Arabia – Riyadh
0562154241
Khuris Street – In Front of Pakistanian Airline
Info@diabeticfootarabia.com
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق