Diabetic Foot Care FAQs

Q) What causes Charcot foot?

A) There are several complications that can arise when you have diabetes—Charcot foot is one of them. It is a serious foot problem that can cause significant pain, deformity, and disability, which is why it’s crucial to identify symptoms early and seek treatment as soon as possible.

This foot condition is directly related to neuropathy, which is when nerves become damaged in the foot. When high glucose levels result in nerves becoming damaged, a patient often cannot feel heat, pain, or cold. With this condition, bones in the foot become weakened due to poor circulation and are at risk for fracture. When a break does occur but the symptoms cannot be felt, the structure of the foot can become extremely compromised when a patient continues to walk on the foot. This can then lead to joint dislocations, more severe fractures, ulcers, and disintegration of the bones inside the foot.

If you have diabetes, monitor any signs of redness, warmth, swelling, or pain. Contact us soon as possible at our Troy, NY, office for an appointment with Dr. Tejas Pandya. Reach us at (518) 273-0053 or request one online.

Q) Why is checking my feet important if I have diabetes?

A) If you are living with diabetes, there are two significant complications that require diligent diabetic foot care: neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease. When glucose levels are not controlled, these two conditions can develop and have a huge impact on your foot health. Neuropathy is nerve damage, which means you can lose the ability to feel heat, cold, and pain. This means you may be unaware that you have sustained a foot injury. High glucose levels also constrict your blood vessels, which then inhibits good circulation, and important oxygen and nutrients don’t get to an injury site quickly. This lengthens the healing process, and a small injury could turn into a non-healing wound or become infected.

Checking your feet every day helps to catch a problem at the onset and prevents serious complications from developing. Since you can’t feel anything on the bottom of your feet, your eyes are of utmost importance for noticing an injury. Quick action is imperative with diabetes, so if you notice a new symptom or anything out of the ordinary, do not wait to contact Dr. Tejas Pandya at Capital District Podiatry. You can reach our Troy, NY office by calling (518) 273-0053.