Showing posts with label diabetic feet. Show all posts

Causes of swollen feet and their home treatments.. Fluid build-up. Lymphatic system problems. Kidney problems. Liver problems. Heart problems. Blood clots

What is swollen feet?

Swollen feet, also known as edema, are a common occurrence that can be caused by a variety of factors. While it's often not a cause for alarm, especially if it occurs after prolonged periods of standing or sitting, it can also be a symptom of an underlying medical condition.

Causes of swollen feet:

Here are some of the most common causes of swollen feet:

- Fluid build-up:

This is the most common cause of edema and can be caused by a variety of factors, such as pregnancy, hormonal changes, standing or sitting for long periods, or eating too much salty food.

- Lymphatic system problems:

The lymphatic system is responsible for draining fluid from the tissues. If the lymphatic system is not working properly, fluid can build up in the feet and ankles.

- Kidney problems:

The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste products from the blood. If the kidneys are not working properly, waste products can build up in the blood and cause edema.

- Liver problems:

The liver helps to produce proteins that are important for fluid balance. If the liver is not working properly, protein levels can decrease and cause edema.

- Heart problems:

The heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body. If the heart is not working properly, fluid can back up in the veins and cause edema.

- Blood clots:

Blood clots can block the flow of blood in the veins and cause edema.

If you are experiencing swollen feet, it is important to see a doctor to determine the underlying cause. Treatment for swollen feet will depend on the cause. In some cases, no treatment is necessary and the swelling will go away on its own. In other cases, treatment may include medications, lifestyle changes, or surgery.

Home treatments for swollen feet:

Here are some home remedies that may help to relieve swollen feet:

- Elevate your feet:

This will help to drain fluid from the feet and ankles.

- Wear compression stockings:

Compression stockings can help to improve blood circulation and reduce swelling.

- Exercise regularly:

Exercise can help to improve blood circulation and reduce fluid build-up.

- Reduce your salt intake:

Eating too much salt can lead to fluid retention.

- Lose weight:

If you are overweight or obese, losing weight can help to reduce swelling.

Podiatric when a diabetic patient

Definition and causes

High blood sugar causes a series of chemical changes in the body that eventually damage the nerves. The alteration can range from functional damage (slowing of electrical conduction) to structural damage to the nerve. The alteration is then more and more difficult to reverse. Diabetes can affect all the nerves in the body. It affects two types of nerves: peripheral nerves that control muscles and feel in the skin; and the nerves of the autonomic nervous system which control the functioning of the viscera.

Symptoms

The symptoms, which vary according to the affected nerves and the patients, can result in disorders, accompanied or not by various pains and sometimes nocturnal at the level:

lower limbs (feet, legs, etc.).
the digestive tract (diarrhea, constipation, etc.)
urinary system (poor bladder and urination control)
heart rate and blood pressure, with feelings of dizziness at the lever due to a drop in blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension)

sexual activity (erection disorder, impotence,...) (See the sexual complications of diabetes in this file) etc.

The disappearance of reflexes can also be a sign of neuropathy. But the presence and evolution of the disease can be silent. Because the particularity of diabetic neuropathy is that it disturbs the sensitivity to pain. In some patients, it causes terrible pain on contact with a simple sheet. In others, on the contrary, it can make a foot injury painless, or the feeling of sweating and the acceleration of the heart rate imperceptible (during hypoglycemia, for example).

Treatments and prevention

If one or more of these signs appear or appear, talk to your doctor. Report any noticeable deficit, even if the symptoms seem to fade over time! Because variations in blood sugar affect the feeling of pain. Your doctor will be able to carry out a more detailed search for the signs of the disease, using different measuring instruments.

Blood sugar control prevents neuropathy because it is strongly correlated with blood sugar control. When it is already installed, it stabilizes it, or even corrects it. It also improves nerve conduction and sensitivity.

Diabetic feet

May affect peripheral arterial sclerosis of the foot in diabetic patients leading to lack of blood flow and cause cold feet and pain while walking. And causes hardening and narrowing of the arteries to peripheral nerve damage and foot to a diabetic foot. Expression is called diabetic foot complications and changes that occur in diabetic foot infections and ulcers and "gangrene."

As for the role of peripheral nerve damage in a diabetic foot is attributable to this damage lose sensation or impair foot exposing them to frequent collisions and things do not feel the patient's pain or heat or cold feet, so the patient does not feel any injured or heartburn.

The peripheral nerve damage leads to loss of sensation joints of the feet and fingers, which

Cause deformity of the fingers and the uneven distribution of body weight on the feet, leading to the emergence of "Alcalo" * in the areas of excess pressure and constantly pressure cracks and then spoke ulceration (diabetic foot).

The diabetic foot of the most important complications facing diabetic. Global statistics indicate that it is amputated feet diabetes every 30 seconds. Therefore focused on countries of the world to this subject and identified as the International Day for the definition of the gravity of the problem, named on the diabetic foot to identify ways to prevent amputation.

warts", namely: Scrape small solid round appears on the skin with or without Such as chickpea.

Procedures for the treatment of diabetic

Plantar perforating disease

The neuropathy especially seriously disturbs the statics and the dynamics of the foot, responsible for hyperkeratosis (horn at the points of support), first step which will then cause bleeding (hematomas) in depth and which will leave ulcerations of the skin instead. : it is the plantar perforating disease.

In addition, the occlusion of the arteries in the lower limbs (arteritis) leads to a lack of oxygen in the blood necessary for healing and will therefore greatly aggravate the process.

Unnoticeable foot pain

Like the eyes, the feet are fed by a network of arteries and small vessels that provide muscles and tissues with the oxygen and nutrients they need to function.

Difficult wound healing

In case of arteritis, the arteries of the legs become clogged, decreasing the supply of oxygen to the feet. Result, the wounds extend and do not heal, amputation is then the last resort.

Diabetes: risk of amputation

However, at the origin of an infected wound or gangrene, there is most often: a small injury that could have been avoided and caused by: a shoe (blister due to the friction of a new shoe), a badly cut nail or a callus or "the perforating plantar disease" that we have seen, a true specific complication of neuropathy.

It is accepted that 10% of diabetics are at risk of amputation. It's a lot and a lot at the same time because every year in France, there are nearly 10,000 amputations due to complications of diabetes. We know that many of these amputations could be avoided by more prevention, early diagnosis and appropriate care.

Prevention: keep an eye on your feet!

If you have a foot at risk, a number of good practices are in order:

hygiene of the feet, toes and nails,
regular visual checks and monitoring (by yourself, a relative or a specialist) of the condition of your feet,
care and treatment adapted to the slightest injury or anomaly...
In the event of an infected foot, it is necessary to find a balanced diabetes, to stop smoking (because tobacco has effects on blood circulation), to avoid risk factors, etc.
Certain hygiene or comfort techniques and utensils (such as hot water bottles, certain nail clippers, etc.) should be avoided because they are not compatible with fragile feet.
All these good reflexes will save you a lot of inconvenience and unnecessary pain. You'll keep your feet healthy and prevent serious complications from setting in. Doctors, chiropodists, educational or medical structures (in hospitals or in healthcare networks) can also inform you and train you in these best practices.

Choose your shoes well

Last but not least advice, avoid walking barefoot and pay particular attention to the choice of your shoes. Warning: the feet swell during the day, buy your shoes at the end of the day and put them on gradually so that they fit your foot without hurting you. Don't forget that each foot is different and that it is advisable to have shoes adapted to its morphology, the walking conditions and the state of health of its feet.

What is the wound care treatment for diabetic foot ulcer?

Apply antibiotic ointment after washing to keep the wound moist. Cover the wound with a bandage to control drainage and protect it. Change the bandage and repeat this process every 1-2 days. Keep the pressure off the wound as much as possible and, if recommended, use special shoes/socks.

When you have diabetes proper foot care is very important?

Good foot care (healthy skin, nail care, and proper footwear) is very important for anyone with diabetes, because you have a greater risk of having problems with your feet (such as skin that is dry and cracked, sores, changes in foot shape).

How do you treat diabetic foot problems?

Unfortunately, there's no cure for diabetic neuropathy. But you can take steps to slow the progression of this disease. Your doctor will likely recommend pain medication to help alleviate nerve pain. For mild nerve pain, you can take over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

What is the importance of foot care for diabetics?

Diabetic foot care is essential as diabetes can be dangerous to your feet—even a small cut can produce serious consequences. Diabetes may cause nerve damage that takes away the feeling in your feet. Diabetes may also reduce blood flow to the feet, making it harder to heal an injury or resist infection.

What are the best dressings for diabetic foot ulcer?

1.2 UrgoStart dressings should therefore be considered as an option for people with diabetic foot ulcers or venous leg ulcers after any modifiable factors such as infection have been treated.

What is the best dressing for diabetic foot wound?

Alginate and foam dressings provide high absorbency for moderate to heavy exudate. For a diabetic foot ulcer with dying tissue, hydrogels or dressings with collagen and silver are most effective. Most important is matching the absorptive ability of the wound dressing to the amount of wound drainage.

What is the most important aspect of wound care for a diabetic foot ulcer?

Treating a diabetic foot infection requires proper wound care and appropriate antibiotic therapy[19]. The fundamentals of good clinical care includes adequate frequent debridement, offloading, moist wound care, treatment of infection, and revascularization of the ischemic limb[35].

What is the standard treatment of diabetic foot?

The gold standard for diabetic foot ulcer treatment includes debridement of the wound, management of any infection, revascularization procedures when indicated, and off-loading of the ulcer .