Carefully observing the health of your feet may not be at the top of your mind after a diabetes diagnosis. But foot care is a vital piece in solving the diabetes puzzle. Diabetes frequently disrupts nerve communication and the normal flow of blood to your feet. This can result in not feeling pain when an injury occurs or a decrease in blood flow to your feet. A decrease in blood flow leaves your feet lacking in certain nutrients that travel through blood vessels and are associated with healing and nourishment. Read on to learn about the importance of diabetic foot care in San Leandro, CA by Dr. Michael Stein and Dr. Zeineldin Ahmad from Foot Doctor of the East Bay.

What Are Some Foot Concerns That May Accompany a Diabetes Diagnosis?

A problem that begins as a mild issue may be a minor annoyance to an otherwise healthy person, but if you have diabetes, small things can progress into serious conditions in the diabetic patient. An example of this is a small cut or burn that the person with diabetes is unaware of and fails to address until it becomes a major issue.

Two factors cause the above scenario. First, diabetes can disrupt the pain signals relayed by nerves, causing you to not feel the cut or burn to your foot when it happens. This is known as peripheral neuropathy. Second, diabetes may impair the blood supply to your foot, a condition known as peripheral vascular disease (PVD). If you have PVD, healing does not take place in a normal way. Additional issues in the feet that may accompany a diagnosis of diabetes are:

• Ulcers
• Bunions
• Corn 
• Callouses
• Infections
• Ingrown toenails

The above conditions are certainly not specific to patients with diabetes, but they occur more often in diabetic patients due to a lack of blood supply. It is a good idea to inspect your feet daily for cuts, scrapes, bruises, and burns. Call your podiatrist immediately if your feet have a different appearance or you see something new that wasn't there before.

Are There Other Symptoms Peripheral Neuropathy and Pvd Can Cause?

If left unmanaged, peripheral neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease can lead to the following conditions and are reasons that diabetic foot care is critical in San Leandro, CA.

• Tingling and numbness in the feet
• Pain and weakness in the calf, at rest or with exercise
• Cold sensations and inability to warm up your feet
• Hair loss on the legs and feet
• Abnormally dry skin.

Contact Us

Receive diabetic foot care in San Leandro, CA with Dr. Michael Stein and Dr. Zeineldin Ahmad from Foot Doctor of the East Bay. Schedule a consultation with us by calling our San Leandro office at (510) 483-3390 or our location in Pleasanton at (925) 425-9684.