So I’m diabetic. Why do I need to see a podiatrist?

I think it is a wonderful thing when I see a diabetic for their first foot check. Most diabetics are oblivious to the fact that every diabetic should be seen once a year for a check up by a podiatrist. It is surprising that so many diabetics have been diabetic for years and never been to a podiatrist. So many times they tell me they have burning pain and tingling in their feet. But many times they don't and wonder why they need to see me "if nothing is wrong with my feet". Inevitably they come in wearing a regular shoe and tell me that they have a relative who has had an amputation of part of their foot or even their limb.

So why see a podiatrist if you are diabetic and have no symptoms that you can perceive?
The answer is simple. Prevention, Prevention, Prevention! You take insulin or medication or if you are lucky, maybe just control your diabetes through diet alone. Why do you bother? You bother because you have learned that if you don’t, you will slowly deteriorate your organs, your body and this will, over time, kill you! Just as you control your sugars with the help of your primary care physician to maintain your body health, you need to see your podiatrist to maintain your foot health. Diabetes is a team effort. Believe it or not, allowing your feet to deteriorate can kill you too! I have seen diabetics who have neglected and infected wounds on their feet; the infection gets into their blood stream and kills them.

These people were once like you. They all started out with no problems with their feet. Having diabetes can lead to numbess (neuropathy) in your feet through the slow deterioration of the nerves that give sensation to your feet. And diabetes is sneaky. The destruction comes on so slowly that most people with this disease don’t even realize they have it. And by the time they do, it is often too late. You need to see a podiatrist BEFORE you develop the numbness, burning or tingling. Do not take the risk of waiting for these symptoms to come on before coming in. Even a small scrape or a blister can be difficult to heal in a diabetic. These small and seemingly harmless injuries are the ones that can just as easily end up in amputations as do so many of the major ulcerations. Calluses may have wounds you may not feel festering underneath. An inappropriate shoe triples the risk of amputation. Allow us to get that importance baseline evaluation and educate you on the imperative information you need to know to keep your feet and limbs for the rest of your life. Amputation rates are ever increasingly closer to 100,000 per year in diabetics. Statistics show that the loss of your limb means the loss of your life in as little as 5 years.
Make your appointment today!