Do You Feel Numbness? Diabetic Foot Symptoms

By Walkrite Foot Clinic August 19, 2016

Diabetes actually represents many other different diseases as the high glucose levels in the blood over time can damage the eyes, blood vessels, kidneys, and nerves. It can also decrease the ability of the body to fight infection. It is already known to us that if diabetes is not taken care of properly, it can lead to the damage of many organs in the body and can also cause impairment of the immune system. Diabetes can also cause serious foot problems if necessary actions are not taken.

Due to low levels of insulin or high levels of glucose in the blood-nerve damage can be caused. The elevated glucose levels would hurt the interplay between the blood vessels and the nerve fibers which provide all nutrients to the nerves. The term used for the damage of nerves due to high glucose levels is diabetic peripheral neuropathy and is usually found to occur first in the legs and feet which may rise up to the arms later on. There are many symptoms and signs of this disease and are listed below.

  • Numbness will be felt in the legs- This is actually a very common symptom of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Sometimes you may not be able to feel your foot while walking. You can notice your feet or hands getting a tingle or burned. You may also feel like you are wearing gloves or socks when you are not.
  • Sudden pain- A person who has diabetes will experience a sharp or a sudden pain just like an electric current. Sometimes you may feel cramping, for instance, a big piece of silverware being grasped by you. You might as well drop your items in your hand as the result of diabetes.
  • Losing the balance- Usually walking in a wobbly motion or sometimes losing your balance when you are walking can be considered as the symptom of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Orthopedic shoes are designed for the people with diabetes and wearing that will make you feel better and helps you not to lose the balance. Another common sign is the loss of coordination in the things what he/she is doing. This can cause muscle weakness and can subsequently affect your gait.
  • Feet might look funny- Deformity can be caused in your feet and is the result of the improper shifting of weight caused by abnormal walking and the poor functionality of the nerve. One type of such a deformity is called hammertoe. This can occur when the toe in between the little toe and the big toe becomes unnatural at the joints.
  • Blisters or sores- There is a chance for you to see blisters or sores on your feet which happen to be very painful but in the case of diabetes, you may not experience the pain. This may be because the brain does not send a pain signal to the feet due to nerve damage which is very dangerous. For instance, you can scald yourself with warm water as you are unable to experience the pain response to heat.
< Back to Blog