Bradford Miller has had diabetes for nine years, and he knows the importance of quick treatment for related problems such as swelling and numbness in the feet.
“Knowing some of the warning signs of the problems dealing with my feet and taking care of those things immediately I knew would prevent larger issues, I see the doctor regularly to prevent any medical problems,” says Miller.
The swelling was caused by neuropathy – a result of nerve damage that is common among people with diabetes.
“About 60 to 70 percent of all patients that develop diabetes in their lifetime will have some form of neuropathy, which is the loss of protective sensation, and therefore, increases their risk of having a foot problem,” says Crystal Holmes, DPM, a certified wound specialist and podiatrist at the University of Michigan Health System.
Typically, people become aware of many health problems when they begin to feel pain. But with diabetic neuropathy, the inability to sense pain could postpone treatment, allowing for a little problem to become a big problem.
“Something that normally would cause a person to stop, notice that there's an issue and seek help, that whole event is delayed in someone who has neuropathy and diabetes,” says Holmes.
When someone has diabetes, the nerves can be damaged by a multitude of factors, such as high blood glucose and damage to the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to nerves.
Fortunately, there are several tips for people suffering from diabetes and ways to keep your feet healthy: