As winter approaches the southern hemisphere, the risks of damage to the feet of people with diabetes increase. The weather turned nasty in Johannesburg last weekend – wet and cold – as a result I saw my first Autumn diabetic foot disaster yesterday. A burn on the big toe of a lady who went to bed with her 'barley bag'. It doesn't have to be barley, rice, lentils, in fact anything that can be heated in the microwave.
The Diabetic Foot Symposium at the VASSA Congress yesterday was a great success. It marked the launch of DFWG, the Diabetic Foot Working Group.
This is a voluntary association which will serve as the overall representative body to promote awareness and optimal management of people with diabetic foot problems in South Africa. Its objectives include the prevention of amputation, promoting academic standards and the establishment of relationships amongst role players.
My last two posts have been a clinical assesment of foot care for diabetics. For those suffering from this complaint the following advice should help to protect your pair of feet and minimise the risks of deterioration. And always get professional advice whenever you suspect anything may be wrong.
People with diabetes suffer from the same problems as those without diabetes, such as pes cavus (a high-arched foot), flat feet, bunions, deformed toes, corns, calluses, blisters, fungal infections etc. The risk is that often the foot is unable to respond to the stresses placed upon it. The body weight transmitted through a local area causes high pressure and leads to callus formation. If neuropathy is present, you won't know that the callus is pressing on the softer skin underneath and eventually the skin can break down and an ulcer forms. Sometimes a foot with neuropathy becomes swollen and deformed and changes shape permanently, this is a serious condition called Charcot foot
More on One Pair Must Last A Lifetime – The Diabetic Foot (2/2)
