Diabetes is one of the most unpleasant health conditions and the worse thing is that it is difficult to cure. It can have a deep negative impact on the overall life quality of an individual. Apart from that, it can also result in a number of other complications. One of the most unfortunate after-effects of diabetes is amputation of limbs that can greatly affect the entire life quality of an individual. Foot is the most affected limbs. In this blog we would know about the various reasons that may lead to foot amputation and how to prevent it:
What is the major reason that can result in amputation?
In the nerve damage or diabetic neuropathy the limbs, especially foot becomes almost numb and a person cannot feel something properly. In other words the feeling is significantly reduced. Even if they sustain any injury without their knowledge they may not feel it. For example the slightly pointed pebble that might pierce your foot lightly may get unnoticed due to reduced feeling of pain. 
One of the major reasons behind the increased number of nonhealing ulcers and wound in the diabetes patient is the pins and needles feeling in their fingers that severely affect their ability to feel the pain. Secondly while walking; wearing shoe or running one can easily wound their feet. Besides, unlike hands the feet generally escape the notice and one can only pay attention to the feet during specific conditions like if they feel pain, strain or bleeding. However, due to reduced feeling the diabetic patients may tend to ignore such instance unintentionally. Subsequently such wounds develop into gangrene and amputation is the only solution.
Other reasons
- Diabetes causes some changes to the skin and that can eventually break down the skin. The situation can become grim due to the poor circulation and it can possibly cause non-healing ulcers that ultimately lead to gangrene and amputation.
- Calluses on the feet are other major issues as well as the non healing ulcers.
- The healing is further delayed due to poor circulation
- Due to nerve damage and poor circulation the wound may develop into gangrene and subsequent amputation might only be the option
- The change in the physical shape of the foot cause day neuropathy might also play a major role in ulcers or non healing wounds. One such condition is Charcot’s foot that can prevent you from getting the right shaped foot. Compromising with the situation the people might use the unfitting shoe that may require forcing their foot into the shoe that can eventually result in blisters etc.
How can one save himself from this unpleasant situation?
One thing to keep in minis that modifying the lifestyle can also help a person to effectively reduce the instances of non-healing ulcers associated with diabetes and may also save a person from amputation.
- For example smoking is found to increase the instances of such ulcers and by quitting smoking you can lower the risk of the same.
- Regular visitor to podiatrist is one of the best ways to ensure that you should not develop Charcot’s foot. Early identification may reduce eh changes of further complications. The major treatment is to immobilize the foot. The patients need to use brace or a cast during the period he cannot walk.
- Using custom shoes can also reduce the chances of Charcot’s foot. Such shoes use special inserts. Likewise the lifestyle is also changed to prevent the conditions that might result in amputations. For example the person ma e prevented for doing fieldwork.
- Therapeutic shoes can also save a person from thick calluses that can ultimately lead to amputations by causing non healing foot ulcers
- It could be extremely dangerous to go for the self surgery when you notice wart or corns on the out. Even if you use the specially designed tools at the medical shops the things can bring about the unpleasant results. So it is highly advisable to go for the podiatric in such situations.