MedicineNet.com
  MedicineNet home Health news and views Diseases and conditions Symptoms and signs Procedures and tests Medications Health and Living MedTerms medical dictionary  
Font Size
A
A
A


The Cleveland Clinic

Diabetes- Foot Problems Related to Diabetes

For people with diabetes, having too much glucose (sugar) in their blood for a long time can cause some serious complications, including foot problems.

How Can Diabetes Affect My Feet?

Diabetes can cause two problems that can affect your feet:

  • Diabetic neuropathy. Uncontrolled diabetes can damage your nerves. If you have damaged nerves in your legs and feet, you might not feel heat, cold, or pain. This lack of feeling is called "sensory diabetic neuropathy." If you do not feel a cut or sore on your foot because of neuropathy, the cut could get worse and become infected. The muscles of the foot may not function properly because the nerves that make the muscles work are damaged. This could cause the foot to not align properly and create too much pressure in one area of the foot. It is estimated that up to 10% of people will develop foot ulcers. Foot ulcers occur because of nerve damage and peripheral vascular disease.
  • Peripheral vascular disease. Diabetes also affects the flow of blood. Without good blood flow, it takes longer for a sore or cut to heal. Poor blood flow in the arms and legs is called "peripheral vascular disease." Peripheral vascular disease is a circulation disorder that affects blood vessels away from the heart. If you have an infection that will not heal because of poor blood flow, you are at risk for developing ulcers or gangrene (the death of tissue due to a lack of blood).


Next: What are some common foot problems of people with diabetes? »



Printer-Friendly Format  |  Email to a Friend


space Related health and medical articles From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com MedicineNet Doctors recommend space
space
MedicineNet Doctors Recommend
  • Diabetes - Information on Diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus) including types, causes, symptoms of diabetes, medications, and treatment. Produced by the doctors of MedicineNet.com Source:MedicineNet
  • Diabetic Neuropathy - Diabetic neuropathy is a complication of diabetes causing damage to the nerves. Learn how to recognize the warning signs and treatment for diabetic neuropathy on MedicineNet.com. Source:WebMD Medical Reference from The Cleveland Clinic
  • Diabetic Home Care and Monitoring - Learn about diabetic home care and monitoring to keep your diabetes under control. Information includes: diet, exercise, drug therapy, blood glucose strips, glucose meters, urine glucose tests, and tests for urinary ketones. Source:MedicineNet
  • Read 10 more Foot Problems (Diabetes) related articles ...
Latest Medical News
space


Last Editorial Review: 5/24/2005





Topics Related to Diabetes Related Foot Problems
Doctors' Views
Diseases & Conditions
more »

Foot Problems (Diabetes)
RSS FeedSpecialty RSS       Add to My Yahoo! What is this?

Living with an Insulin Pump Living with an Insulin Pump
After years of debilitating seizures, diabetic Melissa Jeffries regains control of her diabetes through the use of an insulin pump. See more WebMD Videos »

Diabetes

Find tips and advances in treatment.











Health categories:

News & Views | Diseases & Conditions | Symptoms & Signs | Procedures & Tests | Medications | Health & Living | Medical Dictionary

Popular health centers:

Allergies | Arthritis | Cancer | Diabetes | Digestion | Healthy Kids | Heart | Men's Health | Mental Health | Women's Health | More...

Publications:

ePublications (PDFs) | XML News via RSS | Audio Podcasts | Email Newsletters

MedicineNet.com:

About Us | Privacy Policy | Search Help | Site Map | WebMD® | Medscape® | eMedicine® | eMedicineHealth® | RxList®

HON Code We comply with the HONcode standard for health trust worthy information:
verify here.

©1996-2008 MedicineNet, Inc. All rights reserved. Notices and Legal Disclaimer.
MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.