Can a diabetic avoid foot complications?
All diabetic foot ulcers are predictable and preventable. The insensitive foot of the diabetic patient is an important indicator. Preventive screening of the diabetic foot requires less than two minutes per patient. This simple screening can identify the patients in whom major amputations can be prevented, simply by education and attention to footwear. Physicians should never forget routine foot screening and patients should seek periodic foot evaluation. Who is at risk to developing foot ulcers? Diabetes by itself does not cause major foot problems. The most common event that may lead to amputation is an “ulcer”. This occurs because a person cannot feel injury to the foot due to nerve damage caused by prolonged diabetes. This is called “neuropathy”. Patients with loss of protective sensation or with poor circulation in the feet need extra efforts towards prevention. The deformed foot in diabetics alters the foot contact to the surface during walking. This altered foot pressure creates
