Some things go together well, like New Year’s Eve and a room full of loved ones. Whether you plan to spend the evening with comedian Tom Brady (not the NFL quarterback!), attend the Kid Kazooey Family Dance Party, or just have a traditional gathering at home, it will be hard to go wrong. There are other pair-ups, though, that aren’t worth celebrating at all. Diabetes and peripheral arterial disease (PAD), for example, are a tag team of big trouble.
If you have diabetes, odds are higher that you’ll have PAD as well. This condition causes a narrowing or gradual blockage of blood vessels over time, and having too much blood sugar can weaken the vascular system and make it more susceptible to narrowing.
That’s not the only peril of their partnership, however. When their effects combine at foot level, it can be a recipe for serious danger. How?
The course of diabetes can lead to nerve damage, or neuropathy, as well. This is often experienced in the feet as a lessening or loss of sensation. As circulation decreases from peripheral arterial disease, it can lead to wounds and sores taking much longer to heal, or not healing at all. So, if a cut or sore develops on the foot and goes unnoticed due to neuropathy, it can remain open for a long time due to poor circulation. If not caught in time, this can leave the foot wide open to a serious infection. Many feet, sadly, are lost to amputation this way every year.
If diabetes and/or PAD are concerns when it comes to your health, it’s crucial to consider your feet as part of your efforts to manage these conditions. Check your feet every day for signs of damage or abnormalities, and have an expert in your corner for when something does come up. Call the office of Dr. Kevin Power at (812) 333-4422 or contact us using our online form. Our Bloomington office will be happy to schedule an appointment for you or address any questions you may have.
