Diabetic Foot Care

Do Not Let Diabetes Dictate Your Life

Being diagnosed with diabetes definitely changes things. It often means different choices throughout your life, including what you eat and how you approach your health.

While these changes can take some time to get used to, they are choices that help you live your life to its fullest and prevent the consequences of diabetes from having dire effects on your life. One area where your choices are especially critical is your foot care.

Why Foot Care Matters With Diabetes

As a podiatry office, our approach to diabetic care is very much “ground up.” We are committed to prompt and effective treatment of any diabetic complications of the feet. Even better than that, however, is preventative care that keeps problems from becoming dangerous in the first place.

When diabetes is uncontrolled, risks to your feet increase for two reasons:

Arterial circulation to your feet can be impeded. This can cause wounds and other injuries to the feet to heal more slowly—or sometimes not at all—without intervention.

Nerves within the feet can become damaged, leading to a loss of sensation. And because of this, injuries and irritation to the feet may not be felt.

These effects can cause injuries to the feet to go unnoticed and worsen quickly. This can result in ulcers, infections, and sometimes loss of the limb.

But the good news is, with proper diabetic foot care, these dangers can be greatly reduced.

What Diabetic Foot Care Means

Proper diabetic foot care means taking the right steps to ensure the effects of diabetes don’t claim your feet. The most important step is easy, controlling your blood sugar and weight levels with life style changes—and you’re in full control.

Commit to examining your feet every day if you have diabetes. Examining your is something a person with diabetes should do every day! Make a habit of inspecting your feet at a convenient time of day for you—it can be in bed during the morning, or when you hop out of the shower. Check for any injuries, sores, ingrown toenails—basically anything that wasn’t there before or should not be there. This is a primary preventive strategy for avoiding foot problems.

If you see any changes, immediately call your medical provider for evaluation. You might just need to keep an eye on the situation for a few days, or you may need a more thorough examination. Either way, if you know something is going on, then you should treat the problem effectively before it gets worse.

Dr. Victoria Melhuish provides extensive preventive and direct treatments, including:

Ulcer treatment to heal the wound and prevent repeated skin break down. Without proper treatment the ulcer may progress to a need for amputation.

Orthotics – Because ulcers are caused by high pressure areas of the foot, fitting with an orthotic is key to mitigating these pressure points to prevent future skin break down.

Nail care to help prevent injuries caused by sharp, jagged, or ingrown nails.

Shoe evaluations to check for correct size and support of your feet, while mitigating areas that may become sore or irritated.

Vascular testing to detect and address issues of blood flow.

Full-body health advice – This includes diet, gut health, and other factors that can have direct and indirect influences on your foot health.

Early Intervention Can Prevent Serious Problems

Our practice offers same-day appointments for patients who need emergency care and will always be happy to arrange appointments for regular check-ups and help.

Contact Sierra Foot & Ankle at (775) 783-8037 to reach our office in Carson City.

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2350 South Carson St
Suite 3
Carson City, NV 89701

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