If you are a patient with diabetes, you may want to talk to one of our doctors about diabetic neuropathy.   

     Neuropathies are a family of nerve disorders that can be caused by diabetes. Neuropathy can also be caused by other metabolic disorders, medication, or be from an unknown cause (idiopathic neuropathy).  People with diabetes can, over time, develop nerve damage throughout the body. Some people with nerve damage have no symptoms. Others may have symptoms such as pain, tingling, or numbness-loss of feeling-in the hands, arms, feet, and legs.
     Diabetic neuropathies often manifest in your feet and may even be the first sign that you have developed diabetes. The longer you live with diabetes, the more likely it is that you may develop neuropathy. Furthermore, this problem becomes magnified if you have difficulty controlling your blood sugars. However, some patients with diabetes never develop neuropathy and have no symptoms at all. Mild cases of neuropathy may go unnoticed for many years-and remain untreated. Symptoms of numbness, tingling, or burning should be brought to the attention of our staff as there may be treatments available to help alleviate these sensations.
     If you and your doctor discover that you do have neuropathy (whatever the cause), there are a number of things you can do to keep your feet healthy:
· Check your feet every day and if necessary, use a mirror to view the bottoms and sides of your feet. Call our office at the first sign of swelling, redness, cuts, infection, or abnormalities.
· Make sure that your shoes are free of any debris before sliding them on. Even a tiny stone can cause damage.
· Have your primary care physician check your feet during each general visit. If a problem is identified, the physician will likely refer you to our office.
· Choose the right shoes. Shoes that are too tight or that rub can cause problems that can develop into serious health concerns.  Be sure to ask about the wide selection of shoes available through our diabetic shoe program.
· Wear white or light colored socks so that you can see if any blood or fluid from a sore may have developed during the day.
· Always wash your feet in lukewarm water. Dry them carefully, especially between your toes, and use products such as creams and powders that have been approved by our office or have the APMA Seal of Approval.
· Do not walk barefoot, even at home. You never know what may be lurking on your floors and in your carpets.
· Be sure to keep your regularly scheduled appointments with our office to make sure that your diabetes is under control and that your feet stay healthy. ·

 

Remember that there are several treatments available to treat some of the pain and abnormal sensations caused by neuropathy.  If you have any symptoms such as night pain, numbness, burning, or tingling of your feet call our office and get in today so Dr. Valins and Dr. Penney can help make you feel better soon.