Diabetic Foot: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
قدم السكري
Diabetic foot is a serious complication of diabetes resulting from nerve damage and poor circulation, so foot sensation decreases and wounds heal slowly, making it prone to ulcers, infection, and possibly amputation. Prevention through daily care, sugar control, and early detection protects the foot from complications.
What is Diabetic Foot?
Diabetic foot is a term describing the group of problems affecting the feet of people with diabetes due to two main complications of chronic high sugar: peripheral nerve damage (neuropathy), which reduces the sensation of pain and temperature in the foot, and poor circulation, which reduces the delivery of blood and oxygen needed for wound healing.
The combination of these two factors keeps the foot in constant danger: a patient may sustain a minor wound, friction, or burn without feeling it due to reduced sensation, then the wound does not heal easily due to poor perfusion, so it turns into an ulcer that may become infected with bacteria, deepen, and reach tissues and bones. These ulcers and infections are the leading cause of non-traumatic limb amputations.
The important news is that most diabetic-foot problems are preventable. This relies on good blood-sugar control to slow nerve and vessel damage, daily foot care (daily inspection, moisturizing, careful nail trimming, avoiding walking barefoot), choosing suitable footwear, and regular checkups to detect any change early. When any ulcer, redness, or swelling appears, immediate evaluation is extremely important, as early treatment of wounds and infection saves the foot and prevents serious complications.
Symptoms
- Numbness, loss of sensation, or tingling in the feet.
- Wounds or ulcers that do not heal, especially under the foot.
- Redness, swelling, warmth, or discharge (a sign of infection).
- Skin color change, cold foot, and pain on walking.
Causes
- Peripheral nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy), reducing sensation.
- Poor circulation, slowing wound healing.
- Chronic uncontrolled high sugar.
- Bacterial infection in untreated wounds.
Risk factors
- Long-standing, uncontrolled diabetes.
- Neuropathy and peripheral artery disease.
- Smoking and obesity.
- Foot deformities and unsuitable footwear.
Diagnosis
- Regular foot examination and testing of sensation and pulses.
- Assessing wounds and ulcers, their depth, and infection signs.
- Circulation tests and bone imaging when bone infection is suspected.
Treatment
Treating wounds and infection
- Cleaning and caring for the wound and offloading pressure from it.
- Antibiotics for infection by prescription.
Improving perfusion and controlling sugar
- Controlling sugar and treating poor circulation.
- A multidisciplinary team (diabetes, vascular, surgery) in advanced cases.
This content is educational and does not replace medical advice; ulcers warrant prompt evaluation.
Complications
- Deep infection reaching the bone.
- Gangrene (tissue death).
- Amputation of a toe or part of the foot in advanced cases.
Prevention
- Good sugar control to slow complications.
- Inspecting the feet daily, moisturizing, and careful nail trimming.
- Not walking barefoot and choosing comfortable, suitable footwear.
- Quitting smoking and regular doctor checkups.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor immediately for any wound, ulcer, redness, swelling, or color change in the foot, and do not wait, as early treatment saves the foot. Go to the emergency department for signs of severe infection such as fever, red streaks, or foul discharge. Book an appointment with a diabetes, vascular, or surgery specialist on ClinicsJo.