If you have diabetes, you’re also more likely to experience foot-related issues like diabetic ulcers, nerve damage, and ingrown toenails. At Texas Heart and Vein Multispecialty Group, the team of expert physicians provides comprehensive diabetic foot care to adults. To make an appointment at the practice in the Greater Heights or Downtown neighborhoods of Houston, Texas, Pearland, Texas, and the location in Kingwood, Texas, call the nearest office today or schedule online.
Diabetic foot care is a podiatric specialty that diagnoses and treats foot-related issues caused by diabetes.
Diabetes doesn’t just affect your pancreas’ ability to produce insulin. Over time, it increases the risk of nerve damage and affects blood flow to your feet.
If the nerves in your feet don’t function as they should, you might step on a sharp object or cut yourself but not realize it. If you don’t know you’ve been injured, the wound could get infected, resulting in gangrene or other serious complications.
If you experience any of these issues and you’re living with diabetes, make an appointment at Texas Heart and Vein Multispecialty Group right away.
At Texas Heart and Vein Multispecialty Group, a diabetic foot care appointment begins with a review of your health history. Next, your provider asks about your symptoms, including their severity, and if any activities like walking barefoot or exercising make them worse.
Afterward, your provider carefully examines your feet and toes looking for open wounds, cuts, or sores. If they suspect you have neuropathy, they might also order a nerve conduction test.
If your feet appear relatively healthy, your doctor provides you with a list of at-home recommendations. If you have an open wound, like a diabetic foot ulcer or a venous stasis ulcer, your provider cleans and dresses the wound and provides care instructions.
Living with diabetes presents unique challenges, but it’s possible to keep your feet healthy and problem-free. The team at Texas Heart and Vein Multispecialty Group recommends:
You might also benefit from healthy lifestyle changes like exercising more frequently, eating a balanced diet, quitting smoking, and losing weight.
Ultimately, the goal of treatment is to keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range while reducing the risk of complications.
To explore diabetic foot care, make an appointment at Texas Heart and Vein Multispecialty Group by calling the nearest office today or scheduling online.
