Call us
Send Us mail
People who have diabetes are more at risk of getting the vascular disease because their high blood sugar levels affect the lining of the body’s arterial walls, making the inside of the blood vessels hard with deposition of calcium and cause them to become narrow (atherosclerosis).
People with Type 2 diabetes are also more likely to have raised triglyceride levels and low HDL cholesterol which also increase the risk of atherosclerosis.
There are two types:
In general, the closer your blood glucose level is to normal, the less likely you risk developing complications. Your risk of developing complications is also reduced if you deal with any other ‘risk factors that you may have such as:
Therefore you may wish to do the following:
Diabetic foot ulcers affect many people with diabetes. It’s believed that 1 in 10 people with diabetes will have a foot ulcer at some point. The ulcers are patches of broken skin, usually on the lower part of the leg or on the feet, that become infected. For those with diabetes, wounds on the legs and feet are less likely to heal; this is partly because of damage to the nerves caused by fluctuating blood sugar levels.
People with diabetes may have reduced nerve functioning due to peripheral diabetic neuropathy. This is when the nerves that carry pain or sensation to and from the feet do not function well, so stepping on something sharp, wearing tight shoes or sustaining a cut can go unnoticed leading to diabetic foot ulcers. Narrowed arteries (atherosclerosis) can also reduce blood flow to the feet. They are also prone to foot infections if blood sugars are uncontrolled.
Diabetic foot ulcers take time to heal as often they more than one underlying cause. In the worst cases, some people with diabetes may have to have an amputation as the result of an ulcer. Less serious foot ulcers can take a long time to heal and cause a great deal of discomfort.
Taking good care of your feet is crucial in preventing diabetic foot ulcers. It is recommended that people with diabetes should have their feet checked at least once a year by a doctor or healthcare professional.