This episode of Ask A Nurse, Diabetic Foot Care Dos & Don’ts features Cathy Parkes, a registered nurse from LevelUpRN. Kathy covers both how diabetes affects the feet and how those with diabetes should care for their feet to avoid or reduce complications.
Diabetes is associated with increased blood glucose levels, a condition called hyperglycemia.
Consistent or chronic hyperglycemia can lead to nerve damage. Damage in the legs or feet is called peripheral neuropathy and can lead to leg pain, wounds and infections, deformities, and even amputations and sepsis. Diabetes also leads to tingling or numbness in the feet, reducing the ability to feel wounds or fractures, leading some to damage their feet further.
Kathy also covers how diabetes can damage your sensory, motor, and autonomic nerves and how each can lead to complications.
Most important, Kathy reviews her Top Ten recommendations for diabetic foot care. These include specific diabetic foot care routines, what to avoid, and recommendations about general foot care and blood sugar level management.
If you want to understand how diabetes affects your feet and the essential dos and don’ts of diabetic foot care, Kathy’s video covers all the basics.
