Prevent Foot Ulcers by Controlling Blood Sugar

If you had to guess the most important discovery in medicine in the last century, what would your guess be? Many scientists and researchers argue that it was the discovery of insulin as a treatment for diabetes. Injections of insulin became a viable treatment to control blood sugar in 1912. The 100th birthday of insulin treatment is one thing we’re celebrating this World Diabetes Day, which our team of podiatrists observes every year on November 14.
Before the advent of insulin treatments, the prognosis for a person with diabetes was poor. But since this amazing discovery, there have been even more discoveries to improve the quality of life of those with diabetes – discoveries like improved syringes, blood glucose test strips, insulin pumps, and even an artificial pancreas that mimics the production of insulin, just like a real pancreas.
However, one thing hasn’t changed in the last 100 years: people with diabetes are prone to foot ulcers.
The key to preventing diabetic foot ulcers
One important thing you can do to prevent dangerous foot ulcers is to track and control the amount of sugar in your blood. Poorly controlled diabetes leads to foot ulcers because of factors like:
- Lack of sensation in the feet – When you can’t feel your feet, you don’t know that a cut or sore may be forming into an ulcerous wound.
- Poor circulation – When damaged blood vessels can’t get blood to your feet in time, cuts and sores don’t heal and infections can set in.
- Foot deformities – When a foot deformity causes constant pressure and irritation in your shoes, a callus can form at the pressure point. For diabetics, calluses can easily lead to wounds that don’t heal.
Our experienced podiatric surgeons, Dr. Craig B. Frey, Dr. Megan L. Oltmann, Dr. Jim Swienconek, Dr. Rachel Robinson, and Dr. Courtney Yoder, encourage all our patients with diabetes to manage their blood sugar every day. Also, examine your feet daily for redness, calluses, deformities, or sores that aren’t healing. Contact us immediately if you see any trouble spots. Call Foot & Ankle Associates of Cleveland in Solon, Ohio at (440) 903-1041 or contact us online to schedule a consultation. We offer a modern office with the latest technology for podiatric patients in Portage, Geauga, Cuyahoga, and Summit Counties, proudly serving our patients from Solon, Aurora, Bedford, Chagrin Falls, Hudson, Macedonia, and Twinsburg.