When many people think about the issues of diabetics, there are usually two items that they think of: problems with sugar and problems with feet. The sugar difficulty has to do with their bodies' inability to cope with carbohydrates easily and the feet problem is to do with circulation.
The medical term for these problems in the feet is to do with 'neuropathy'. It often results in 'cold extremities'. This means the furthest points from the heart, so it includes the hands and the feet, which are of course the furthest extremity from the heart's blood supply.
If you have a deficiency of blood in your extremities, you can damage them without even realizing it. If you hurt your hands, you can see the problem, because your hands are before your face all day, but if you injure your feet, it may go unnoticed for a while.
People touch their face several times an hour, but how often do they scrutinize their feet? What if you had stepped on a rusty nail and did not know it? Your foot would be infected and you might not know it as quickly as a non-diabetic.
This deficiency of sensitivity in the feet works in another, more internal way as well. The nerves in your feet may not realise that your feet are drying out, so they might not order a provision of oil.
This will eventually mean that your feet will be parched. The skin may crack and lead to pain. If you notice this, you need to talk to your GP immediately.
If the skin cracks, it is more likely that an infection will follow with a diabetic, because of the elevated level of sugar in the blood. The increased nutrients will breed millions more bacteria and the infection will grow far faster than usual.
This is true of any problem, not only the feet. Gum disease is much more widespread in diabetics as well for the same reason. The presence of this extra sugar/glucose and the resulting bacteria can lead to a higher rate of gangrene, if left untreated.
Therefore, it is crucial for a diabetic to keep his or her blood/sugar level under control at all times. This is very problematic in the start and the greenhorn diabetic must follow strict guidelines, usually worrying at each step of the way.
Nevertheless, it does not have to be like that. Most diabetics find out how to control their consumption in order to keep their blood/sugar and insulin levels under control. This comes with familiarity and after much worry, but diet is the key and so is exercise.
The greenhorn diabetic has to learn what he or she may consume without worry and what he or she may consume and have to think about it. After a time, this will become second nature, but you have to do it for the sake of yourself and your extremities.
The medical term for these problems in the feet is to do with 'neuropathy'. It often results in 'cold extremities'. This means the furthest points from the heart, so it includes the hands and the feet, which are of course the furthest extremity from the heart's blood supply.
If you have a deficiency of blood in your extremities, you can damage them without even realizing it. If you hurt your hands, you can see the problem, because your hands are before your face all day, but if you injure your feet, it may go unnoticed for a while.
People touch their face several times an hour, but how often do they scrutinize their feet? What if you had stepped on a rusty nail and did not know it? Your foot would be infected and you might not know it as quickly as a non-diabetic.
This deficiency of sensitivity in the feet works in another, more internal way as well. The nerves in your feet may not realise that your feet are drying out, so they might not order a provision of oil.
This will eventually mean that your feet will be parched. The skin may crack and lead to pain. If you notice this, you need to talk to your GP immediately.
If the skin cracks, it is more likely that an infection will follow with a diabetic, because of the elevated level of sugar in the blood. The increased nutrients will breed millions more bacteria and the infection will grow far faster than usual.
This is true of any problem, not only the feet. Gum disease is much more widespread in diabetics as well for the same reason. The presence of this extra sugar/glucose and the resulting bacteria can lead to a higher rate of gangrene, if left untreated.
Therefore, it is crucial for a diabetic to keep his or her blood/sugar level under control at all times. This is very problematic in the start and the greenhorn diabetic must follow strict guidelines, usually worrying at each step of the way.
Nevertheless, it does not have to be like that. Most diabetics find out how to control their consumption in order to keep their blood/sugar and insulin levels under control. This comes with familiarity and after much worry, but diet is the key and so is exercise.
The greenhorn diabetic has to learn what he or she may consume without worry and what he or she may consume and have to think about it. After a time, this will become second nature, but you have to do it for the sake of yourself and your extremities.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a variety of subjects, but is currently concerned with cookbooks for diabeticss. If you would like to kcurrently more, please visit our site at http://cookbooksfordiabetics.com