Diabetic foot is the number one cause of non-traumatic amputation! Prevent diabetic foot, do 3 "early to know"!

Prevent diabetic foot, 3 "early to know"

Member of the Standing Committee of the Diabetes Prevention and Control Professional Committee of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association

Wang Wenxuan, researcher at the Center for Chronic Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Diabetic foot is a complication of diabetes in the foot, the common manifestation is foot infection, ulcers, severe cases can occur local or full foot gangrene, the need for amputation. Therefore, once you have diabetes, you should pay attention to the prevention of complications.

In the prevention of diabetic foot, there are three "early knows":

First, the harm of diabetic foot.

Second, diabetic foot is preventable.

Third, the knowledge and skills to prevent diabetic foot.

1

Diabetic foot is seriously harmful

Improper treatment of diabetic foot can lead to serious disability and even death, which is an important cause of disability and death of diabetes, and one of the most expensive complications of diabetes treatment. The disease is the first cause of non-traumatic amputation, and the amputation rate of patients with a history of foot ulcer disease increases by 2 to 3 times, and 14% to 24% of diabetic feet require amputation.

The probability of foot ulcers in diabetics is 15% to 25% in their lifetime; or in other words, for every 10 diabetic patients, 1.5 to 2.5 people will develop diabetic feet sooner or later.

As diabetes increases, the risk of developing diabetic feet increases significantly. Studies have shown that for every 10 years of diabetes, the risk of developing foot disease increases 3 times.

Compared with non-diabetic patients, the risk of developing foot disease in diabetic patients is increased by 15 to 20 times. More than 50% of older people with type 2 diabetes are at risk of foot ulcers.

2

Diabetic foot is preventable

Diabetes is preventable and difficult to treat, but diabetic foot can be prevented. According to the World Diabetes Alliance, 70% of amputations occur in diabetics worldwide, and pre-amputation diabetic foot ulcers are preventable.

Preventive measures are first of all for the early treatment, standardized treatment and standardized management of the basic disease of diabetes. Secondly, go to the hospital once a year to do a standardized foot disease examination to detect the risk of foot disease as soon as possible. In addition, diabetics should do a good job of foot care.

3

Learn knowledge and skills to reduce the risk of podiatry

Diabetics should learn the following knowledge and skills and practice them to reduce the risk of foot disease.

If there is one or more of the following conditions, it indicates that diabetic foot is prone to occur. An annual foot exam can help detect these high-risk conditions.

1. Suffered from diabetes for more than 10 years

2. Poor long-term blood glucose control

3. Have had foot ulcers or amputations

4. The foot structure has deformities, such as thumb valgus, flat feet, high arched feet, etc

5. There are skin lesions in the feet, such as calluses, corns, cracks, fungal infections, etc

6. There are symptoms of peripheral neuropathy such as sensory weakening and numbness in the foot

7. The foot has symptoms such as weakened pulse and low skin temperature and other symptoms of peripheral blood vessel occlusion

8. Suffer from diabetic nephropathy/retinopathy and other chronic complications of diabetes

9. Wear inappropriate shoes and socks, poor foot health care, causing foot damage or infection

10. Smoking and alcoholism

11. Knee, hip or spinal arthritis and other problems that affect foot function

12. Elderly people, people with decreased vision or living alone

Good blood sugar control is the basis for diabetic foot prevention, and foot examination and care is the core content of foot disease prevention. Doing the following can help people with diabetes prevent diabetes:

1. Control blood sugar, blood pressure and blood lipid levels

2. Quit smoking and limit alcohol

3. Obese people lose weight

4. Go to the hospital at least once a year for foot examination

5. Conduct a foot self-examination every day, and find that the situation should be consulted with a doctor as soon as possible

6. Wear appropriate shoes and socks

7. Diabetics should pay special attention to the daily care of the feet

8. Diabetics should pay attention to protecting their feet when exercising

Diabetics do self-examinations of their feet every day. Seek medical attention as soon as possible if:

1. Observe whether the foot has blisters, cracks, cuts, scratches or redness, swelling and heat, which is often one of the causes of foot disease. Examining the dorsal of the foot is also necessary to examine the sole of the foot, which can be examined with the help of a mirror.

2. Whether there are corns, calluses (calluses) and toenails abnormally embedded in the skin.

3. Cold, pale, purple or even blackening of the skin of the feet indicates ischemia.

4. Understand the blood vessel condition by touching the pulse of the dorsal foot artery and the posterior tibial artery, if the blood vessel is hard and inelastic, the pulsation sensation is not touched or the beat is very weak, the blood vessel may be occluded.

Feet are the foundation of the body. For diabetics, the feet need to be taken care of more, because neurovascular lesions can make the feet very fragile. For diabetics to protect their feet, it is very important to choose a suitable pair of shoes.

1, light fit: the use of shoelaces or velcro, it is best not to choose shoes with elastic mouth.

2, spacious toe space: round toe, toe has enough width and depth, when the patient stands, the top of the shoe from the longest toe to leave a distance of 1 cm, the side of the shoe should not make the next toe feel squeezed, to avoid squeezing.

3, good breathability: the fabric is made of stretch synthetic fiber fabric or high-quality soft leather.

4. The inside of the shoe is smooth and smooth: the lining of the shoe has little or no seams to prevent friction damage.

5, the sole shock absorption elastic: mostly use flat heel rubber sole, the back of the shoe has a certain natural curvature, and the sole is thicker.

Proper socks can also play an important role in foot protection. When choosing socks, you should pay attention to:

1, choose to use natural materials, such as cotton thread, wool and other socks, should not wear breathable nylon or polyester socks.

2, socks should not be too small, nor too large.

3, the upper mouth of the socks should not be too tight, otherwise it will affect the blood circulation of the feet, and it is not advisable to wear elastic stockings or stockings.

4, the internal seam of the socks should not be too rough, otherwise it will cause damage to the foot. There are torn socks try not to wear again.

5. It is advisable to choose light-colored socks so that when the foot injury has pus, blood and tissue fluid oozing out, it can be found in time.

6. Change your socks every day.

When caring for their feet, diabetics wash their feet with warm water (below 38 ° C) every day, and do not soak their feet for more than 10 minutes to avoid foot injury caused by excessive temperature or foot soaking time. Diabetic patients often have decreased foot sensation, so they cannot rely on foot sensation to test the water temperature, you can use your hands or thermometer to test the water temperature. Dry with a fluffy, clean white or light towel, especially between the toes, and check for bleeding and fluid oozing. If the skin is dry, use lubricating oil and skin care ointment, but do not apply between the toes.

Change your shoes and socks every day and keep your feet dry. To prevent fungal infections, if a fungal infection occurs, use antifungal ointments in time. Trim the toenails straight to avoid deep cuts on both sides that hurt the skin or cause nail inlays, causing damage or infection. Do not treat corns and calluses yourself with corn ointment, and do not trim yourself to avoid ulceration and necrosis of the surrounding skin or tissues. Do not walk barefoot at any time, and wear shoes without bare feet to prevent foot trauma.

Winter heating needs to pay attention to prevent burns. Because diabetics can be accompanied by skin sensation loss, the foot should not be directly in contact with heat sources, such as hot water bottles, electric blankets, foot warmers, etc., do not be too close to heat sources such as heaters, and air conditioners can be used. Socks can be worn when the feet are cold, and foot shoes can be worn when sleeping at night.

The pictures in this article are from the Internet

Edit || Dong Chao Wan Tao

The duty director || Fan Hongbo