Diabetes is a complex disease that affects many parts of the body, including the feet. In addition to a primary care doctor, people with diabetes need a podiatrist on their healthcare team.
Any foot problem in people with diabetes can turn into a serious issue if not addressed right away. Even dry skin and cracks in diabetic feet need special care.
Our experienced and compassionate podiatrist, Dr. Richard Hochman, at our Coral Gables, Florida, practice provides personalized and expert care of our patients with diabetes, using the most advanced tools and techniques available.
We want to explain why you need specialized foot care when you have diabetes, even when your biggest issue is dry skin and cracks.
Diabetes affects the ability to transport glucose (blood sugar) from the bloodstream into the cells due to problems with insulin, the hormone that moves blood sugar from the blood into the cells.
You always have some sugar floating in your blood, but having too much sugar changes the composition of the blood, damaging the blood vessels and affecting the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to organs and tissues.
The blood vessels in your feet are tiny and more vulnerable to damage from high blood glucose levels, affecting circulation to the feet. If you have any type of foot damage, it may take longer to heal due to the inadequate blood supply.
The high blood sugar and damage to the blood vessels also damages the nerves in the feet, affecting sensation. Lack of feeling in your feet makes it hard for you to know if you have a foot problem, which can delay medical care.
Numbness, lack of circulation, and delayed foot care all increase the risk of infection, which can quickly turn into a serious problem, like tissue death (gangrene) and limb loss. Taking care of your feet reduces the risk of these serious consequences.
Dry skin and cracks on the heel and sides of the feet are common in many people. A little self-care and lotion may resolve the dryness and heal the cracks.
But if you have diabetes, the dryness and cracks in the skin of the feet leave you open to germs that can cause an infection. Further, taking care of your feet at home may inadvertently lead to an injury.
To reduce your risk of foot problems, you should see a podiatrist for foot care needs like dry skin and cracks.
If you have diabetes, a podiatrist like Dr. Hochman should be part of your regular care team. You should see him for an initial exam after your diabetes diagnosis so he can evaluate your feet and check for circulation issues and nerve damage.
The information he gathers during the initial visit helps him develop a treatment plan to keep your feet healthy. Your plan may include at-home foot care recommendations, as well as routine visits to manage foot needs like toenail trimming and callus removal.
The specifics of your plan and the frequency of your visits depend on your current foot issues and the severity of your diabetes. You may need more frequent visits if you have damage to the blood vessels or nerves in your feet or if you’re at greater risk because of difficulty managing blood sugar.
Dr. Hochman takes care of your feet, providing advanced wound care. He also offers help with diabetes management, talks to you about shoes to wear for exercise, and provides custom orthotics for extra foot protection.
Dry skin and cracks in diabetic feet need expert medical care. Call our Coral Gables office in the greater Miami area today or request an appointment online.
