Huron-Perth Boomers Summer 2024

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS Healthy FEET PREVENTING FOOT PROBLEMS CAUSED BY DIABETES BY BRANDON WITTIG AND CAI WILSON 20 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM
y Brandon Wittig and Cai Wilson According to Diabetes Canada (2020), 11 million Canadians are living with diabetes or prediabetes. That’s over one-third of Canada’s population! Diabetes is a disease that affects the body’s ability to use food properly. When a person has diabetes, their blood sugar or glucose is elevated, which can lead to organ damage and can negatively affect parts of the body. Unfortunately, diabetes can affect almost every part of your body. Common diabetes complications include: • Heart disease and stroke. • Nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy). • Foot problems. • Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). • Kidney disease. • Eye disease. • Issues caused by high blood sugar levels can affect blood vessels and nerves, in turn reducing the ability to detect injury, such as stepping on a sharp object. The immune system can also become compromised, increasing the risk of delayed wound healing and infection. • Skin infections can be caused by bacteria, fungi or viruses. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association (www.aad.org), there are a few skin conditions of the lower legs and feet that may appear even before diabetes is diagnosed, when blood sugar is not yet well controlled. Leg and foot infections are common with diabetes and come in various forms. These can include: Skin • Bacterial infection – Erythrasma is an infection occurring in between the toes, which looks red and irritated. • Fungal infection – Tinea pedis can appear as white, peeling skin in between the toes or on the bottoms of the feet that may be itchy or cause burning. HEALTH AND WELLNESS • Viral infection – Verruca pedis or a plantar wart is caused by the human papilloma virus and can be singular or clustered. • Shin spots, also known as diabetic dermopathy, occurs on the shins as a brownish, sunken or depressed line. • Eruptive xanthomatosis commonly occurs at the backs of knees but can occur anywhere and presents as tender and itchy pimple-like bumps that later become yellow. • Anhidrosis or very dry and itchy skin is common in people who have high blood sugar. • Necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum is a rare condition caused by collagen degeneration in the skin on the lower legs and appears as raised, shiny, red-brown patches. Toenails • Nail infections are frequently caused by a fungus of the nail. They are known as onychomycosis and may cause the nail plate to thicken or become discoloured. Prevention of complications Nail care can be tough, especially as you age and if you have mobility limitations. As toenails get trickier to cut, the risk of cutting the nails too short or potentially cutting the skin grows drastically. Something as simple as a callus or corn on the feet of people with diabetes can create problems, leading to wounds, infection and amputation. Skin and toenail care providers, such as chiropodists and footcare nurses, identify these risk factors and provide routine care to prevent progression to a wound or infection. These clinicians ensure toenails and skin are properly cared for and assess for infections and other risk factors. If you cannot trim your toenails safely on your own, it is advisable to seek professional help. Advanced footcare nurses and chiropodists are there for all of your footcare needs. Many foot risks in diabetes come from areas of SUMMER <strong>2024</strong> • 21
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Huron-Perth Boomers Summer 2024

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