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What
is diabetes?
Definition
The disease is marked by the inability
to manufacture or properly use insulin,
and impairs the body’s ability
to convert sugars, starches, and other
foods into energy. The long-term effects
of elevated blood sugar (hyperglycemia)
are damage to the eyes, heart, feet,
kidneys, nerves, and blood vessels.
Statistics
Recent estimates predict that if current
trends continue the numbers of persons
with diabetes will more than double,
from 140 million to 300 million in the
next 25 years. The greater proportion
of the increase is likely to occur in
the developing countries, which are
the communities which can least afford
it. (Source: WHO).
How do you
get diabetes?
No one knows why people develop diabetes,
but once diagnosed, the disease is present
for life. It is an hereditary disorder,
and certain genetic indicators are known
to increase the risk of developing diabetes.
Type 1, previously known as insulin-dependent
diabetes mellitus or juvenile-onset
diabetes, afflicts five to ten percent
of diagnosed cases of diabetes. This
type occurs most frequently in children
and adolescents, and is caused by the
inability of the pancreas to produce
the insulin needed for survival. Type
2, previously called non-insulindependent
diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetes,
affects the other 90-95 percent of all
diagnosed cases of diabetes, many of
whom use oral medication or injectable
insulin to control the disease. The
vast majority of those people (80 percent
or more) are overweight; many of them
obese, as obesity itself can cause insulin
resistance.
What can you
do?
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Wash feet daily |
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Inspect feet and toes daily |
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Lose weight |
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Wear thick, soft socks |
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Stop smoking |
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Cut toenails straight across |
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Exercise |
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Make regular examination visits
to your podiatrist |
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Be properly measured and fitted
every time you buy new shoes |
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Do not go barefoot |
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Do not wear high heels, scandals,
and shoes with pointed toes |
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Do not drink in excess |
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Do not wear anything that
is too tight around the legs |
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Never try to remove calluses,
corns or warts by yourself |
What might
your podiatrist do?
Because diabetes is a systemic disease
affecting many different parts of
the body, ideal case management requires
a team approach. The podiatrist, as
an integral part of the treatment
team, has documented success in the
prevention of amputations. The key
to amputation prevention in diabetic
patients is early recognition and
regular foot screenings, at least
annually, from a Podiatrist.
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