How To Prevent Amputation In Diabetics

Diabetes can lead to a lot of problems in the patient’s body and affect his eyesight, major organs and even his limbs. If the limbs get severely affected, it can lead to ulcers, infections and even gangrene where the limb may have to be amputated to stop the infection from spreading to other body parts.

How To Prevent Amputation In Diabetics

In order to prevent this from happening, it is very essential for a diabetic patient to keep in mind certain tips and guidelines which will help him to not only curb the extent of the disease but also save his limbs from being amputated.

Tips To Prevent Amputation In Diabetics

Check your Feet Regularly

The first preventive measure is to check your feet in a detailed manner on a regular basis. Look for any kind of abnormality, signs of any fractures or feeling of warmth, redness in certain parts, swelling and inflammation along with any change in size or shape of your feet.

You should also check for any kind of rashes or discoloration, cuts and sores or any kind of injury. The nails should be checked for any thickening, change in color or stripes. If you find any of these problems, consult your doctor immediately.

Examine your Foot

Get a regular check up of your hands and feet when visiting your doctor. You can also have specialized foot examinations done once in every 6 months to ensure that no new developments are taking place or any infection is setting in your feet and its surrounding areas.

These tests even check for abnormal blood circulation, changes in color or appearance in the foot and also check the sensitivity level of the foot.

Wear Appropriate Footwear

It is very important to wear proper fitting and comfortable footwear at all times. Always check your footwear from the inside before you put it on, as any foreign object may have entered it when not in use. It is advisable not to wear barefoot if you suffer from diabetes.

You may hurt your feet with any object or obstacle that is lying around and it may lead to an infection. It takes a lot of time to treat any kind of infection or disease in a diabetic patient’s body.

Educate Yourself

You must educate yourself about foot injuries and related problems in a detailed and thorough manner so that you can treat any kind of minor infection, cut or sore immediately.

You can use disinfectants or apply antibiotic creams to prevent the infection from spreading and bandage the whole area. If you are in any doubt, it is best to consult your doctor.

Daily Care

Keep your hands and feet absolutely clean and wash them every day with a mild soap. You can apply a moisturizing or softening lotion so that the skin does not get cracked or dry. Diabetic patients do not have proper blood circulation in their body and this may result in extremely dry skin.

Cracked skin can develop into sores and then infections. Trim you toe nails on a regular basis. If you develop a sudden pain in your feet, visit your doctor so that he may find out the exact cause of the pain and prevent any further complications.