Diabetes warning: The 14 telltale signs on your FEET you should never ignore
THEY get you from A to B - but how often do you look at your feet close up?
Your feet hold clues to chronic conditions, one of which is diabetes.
Diabetes is very common in the UK, affecting more than 4.9 million people in the UK, 90 per cent of whom have type 2 diabetes.
But 850,000 people are living with it and have no idea, charities warn.
If you already have a diabetes diagnosis, you will have been told to keep an eye on your feet.
They are often a source of health red flags, if you aren't controlling your sugar levels properly.
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Experts recommend having a good look at your feet every day, and if you notice anything looking or feeling different, it is always worth getting it checked out by a GP.
Problems in the feet and symptoms
The main two problems that people with diabetes suffer with in their feet is nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy) and peripheral vascular/artery disease (PAD).
Diabetes UK warns to go to the doctor if you notice any of the following 14 symptoms in the feet:
- Tingling sensation or pins and needles (like numbness)
- Pain (burning)
- A dull ache
- Shiny, smooth skin on your feet
- Hair loss on your legs and feet
- Loss of feeling in your feet or legs
- Swollen feet
- Your feet don't sweat
- Wounds or sores that don’t heal
- Cramp in your calves when resting or walking.
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The signs of PAD are, according to the NHS, can also include erectile dysfunction in men and the legs changing in skin colour or losing muscle.
Other causes of PAD that are not diabetes include smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
People with diabetes are also at an increased risk of a fungal infection called onychomycosis, which usually affects the toenails.
This leads to discoloured, thick, and brittle nails.
Face the facts on feet
Damage to the feet comes from having uncontrolled high blood sugar levels for a long time.
The danger is that when someone loses sensation in their feet, they are not as likely to notice a wound.
People with diabetes are told to keep an eye out for cuts, sore, or red spots, swelling or fluid-filled blisters and ingrown toenails, as all of these could lead to an infection.
Less blood flow also makes it harder for these wounds to heal.
People with diabetes are more likely to be admitted to hospital with a foot ulcer than with any other diabetes complication.
Unfortunately, it can lead to amputation - which people with diabetes are 20 times more at risk of.
Over time, damage to the nerves in the feet can lead to Charcot's foot, which results in bony protrusions and a complete change in foot shape.
What is diabetes?
When you're diabetic your body can struggle to produce enough insulin or the insulin isn't effective.
With type 1 diabetes, a person’s pancreas produces no insulin.
In type 2, cells in the body become resistant to insulin, so a greater amount of insulin is needed to keep blood glucose levels within a normal range.
But if you don't keep your blood sugar in check, this could be dangerous and could lead to sensory issues.
Diabetics are urged to monitor their sugar levels and if you're diabetic it's likely you will have been given a device so you can do this at home.
You will be told what your average blood sugar level is and this is referred to as your HbA1c level.
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While they differ for everyone, the NHS says that if you monitor your levels at home then a normal target is 4 to 7mmol/l before eating and under 8.5 to 9mmol/l 2 hours after a meal.
If it's tested every few months then a normal HbA1c target is below 48mmol/mol (or 6.5% on the older measurement scale).