Living with diabetes requires constant vigilance to maintain your health, especially when it comes to your feet. As any one of Montana’s more than 77,000 diabetic patients knows, even a minor irritation can quickly become a serious problem. Fortunately, even with the challenges of diabetes, maintaining healthy feet is possible.
At Alpine Foot & Ankle Clinic, Missoula podiatrist Dr. Gregg Neibauer understands that for diabetic foot problems, early detection can mean the difference between simple treatment and major complications like amputation.
Learning to recognize the warning signs that your feet need attention is key. Here are five indications that you need a professional evaluation from our experienced diabetes foot specialist.
1. Numbness or Tingling
A pins and needles sensation may be an early sign of nerve damage, which is also known as diabetic neuropathy. This condition reduces your ability to feel heat, cold, or pain. Why does this matter? Reduced sensation creates an increased risk of unnoticed injuries. Since diabetic neuropathy progresses over time, early intervention from a foot specialist can help slow its progression and protect your feet.
Diabetic neuropathy typically begins with subtle symptoms that many patients ignore. You might notice decreased sensation when walking barefoot or difficulty feeling temperature changes. Some patients describe it as wearing invisible socks all the time.
Something as simple as a pebble in your shoe may create pressure, leading to blisters or other wounds you didn’t even feel developing. If the wound goes unnoticed long enough, you could end up in a dangerous situation requiring surgery.
If you’re experiencing persistent numbness or tingling, Dr. Neibauer can perform specialized tests to assess your nerve function and recommend appropriate preventive measures based on your diagnosis.
2. Slow-Healing Wounds
Diabetes slows down your body’s healing abilities, making minor cuts or blisters more likely to become serious concerns. If a small cut takes weeks instead of days to heal, it could lead to infections, making them even harder to treat. Seeking professional help for slow-healing wounds is crucial to prevent them from worsening. This is one instance where an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure.
3. Foot Color or Temperature Changes
Changes in the color or temperature of the skin can indicate poor circulation or infection. If one foot appears redder, paler, warmer, or cooler than the other, it’s time to schedule an appointment with your Montana podiatrist. Inflammation or reduced blood flow to your feet can lead to serious complications. Dr. Neibauer can examine your feet for discoloration or temperature changes and determine whether it warrants treatment.
4. Foot Deformities
While circulation is a key concern for diabetics, poor circulation isn’t the only way diabetes can affect the feet. The condition can also weaken muscles and joints, leading to deformities such as:
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Bunions. A misalignment of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ), bunions are a bony, painful bump that forms at the base of the big toe. As the condition progresses, it can make wearing shoes, standing, and walking more challenging.
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Charcot foot. When loss of sensation prevents you from noticing injuries, neuropathic arthropathy, or Charcot foot, can affect the bones, joints, and soft tissues in your foot, causing them to collapse.
- Collapsed arches. Diabetes can also affect the tendons in your feet, weakening them and causing your arches to fall so that your entire sole touches the ground with each step.
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Hammer toes. Muscle imbalances can cause the second, third, or fourth toe to bend, curling downward at the middle joint. Without treatment, the affected toe can become inflexible.
These unpleasant changes create pressure points, often leading to ulcers or bone infections. Regularly monitoring your foot shape can help you recognize and address potential problems as early as possible. Treatment is usually less invasive than patients expect, incorporating custom orthotics, footwear recommendations, and other interventions.
5. Unexplained Pain
Experiencing foot pain, especially after a period of numbness, can be a warning sign of an infection or other serious issue. If you notice burning sensations, sharp pain while walking, or deep aching, seek medical advance to ensure correct diagnosis and treatment.
Paying close attention to these warning signs and working with a trusted podiatrist can protect your feet from potentially life-altering diabetes-related problems. Regular check-ups and early interventions can make all the difference in maintaining healthy feet.