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If You Are Diabetic, Proper Foot Care Is Essential For A Healthy Life

The Society for Vascular Surgery, the American Podiatric Medical Association and the Society for Vascular Medicine collaboratively have published their first-ever set of clinical practice guidelines for treating the diabetic foot.

Peripheral arterial disease, also called PAD, occurs when blood vessels in the legs are narrowed or blocked by fatty deposits and blood flow to your feet and legs decreases.

If you have PAD, you have an increased risk for heart attack and stroke. An estimated 1 out of every 3 people with diabetes over the age of 50 have this condition. However, many of those with warning signs don't realize that they have PAD and therefore don't get treatment.

If you have diabetes, you're much more likely to have PAD, but you can cut your chances of having those problems by taking special care of your blood vessels.

If you have diabetes, complications from the disease such as a non-healing wound on your foot, can put you at significant risk for amputation of a foot or leg. Diabetic foot care is a simple list of things you can do daily—at home, guided by your doctor—to protect your feet against wounds and avoid amputation. Neuropathy- wounds-

DAILY ATTENTION AND ONGOING CARE ARE IMPORTANT

DAILY ATTENTION AND ONGOING CARE ARE IMPORTANT

Your risk for wounds on your feet leading to amputation increases the longer you have diabetes. Proper foot care is important for the rest of your life.

Why?

Your feet experience a lot stress every day as you put on shoes and walk. With diabetes, your feet are particularly prone to wounds because:

Proper diabetic foot care has 3 simple components:

1. SKIN AND NAIL CARE

2. DAILY FOOT INSPECTION

3. PROPER FOOTWEAR

ADDITIONAL STEPS TO AVOID FOOT INJURY

With proper foot care, you can avoid wounds, infections and foot or leg amputation.

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