Many of these amputations could be prevented by better control of blood sugar and effective foot care. Take Care of Your Feet for a Lifetime is a booklet designed to help prevent serious foot problems among people with diabetes. This booklet was developed as a component of Take Care of Your Feet for a Lifetime a kit for health care providers to help patients prevent serious foot problems.
Diabetes can cause nerve damage and loss of feeling in the feet.
With nerve damage, people with diabetes may not feel a blister caused by poorly fitting shoes, or a sore that develops from dry skin, cold feet, or burns. Diabetes delays healing and these seemingly minor foot problems can become ulcers that may ultimately lead to amputation of a toe, foot or leg. In many cases, damage to blood vessels also contributes to amputations. Look for cuts, cracks, splinters, blisters and calluses on the feet each day. Call your doctor if such wounds do not heal after one day.