People who have diabetes are at a higher risk for certain health issues and other conditions. Because of nerve damage, the feet are particularly sensitive to certain issues. Diabetic foot care in Jacksonville FL involves recognizing the danger that results from small cuts and wounds. These can easily evolve into foot ulcers (sores).
What Is a Diabetic Foot Ulcer?
Diabetic foot ulcers are foot sores. They develop in an area where the skin has broken down in some fashion. You may have suffered a cut to your foot from wearing sandals on an Jacksonville FL sidewalk, or simply cracking your skin. In normal circumstances, the tissue and the skin surface of a healthy individual heal quickly. However, if you have diabetes, this does not occur. Instead of healing, the foot develops an ulcer.
Why Do Diabetic Foot Ulcers Occur
If you have diabetes, your condition makes you more susceptible to diabetic foot. The two most prominent contributory factors are:
- Neuropathy (Nerve Damage): If you have diabetes, the nerves in your feet are not functioning normally. The disease damages them over time. In fact, the longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are going to end up with incapable of feeling your feet. This, in turn, results in various bumps and cuts going unnoticed until you may actually require specialized diabetic foot care.
- Peripheral Arterial Disease: This disease results in a narrowing of the arteries. It influences the blood flow to the extremities of your body, particularly the feet. With less blood flowing to your feet, circulation decreases producing an inability to heal quickly.
Diabetic lesions will also form because of a combination of neuropathy, peripheral heart disease, and infection.
Diabetic Foot Care
If you live in Jacksonville FL and are concerned about suffering your feet and diabetic foot ulcers, contact your doctor. He or she can arrange for you to see a podiatrist. They can talk to you about implementing a simple program of diabetic foot care.
At First Coast Foot and Ankle Clinic, their team of professionals in Jacksonville FL is always there to help you with any foot disorders. From Achilles tendonitis to Diabetic Foot Care, we are there to advise you on how to improve how you care for your feet. For more information on who they are, and what they do, visit First Coast Foot and Ankle Clinic.
