High blood glucose from diabetes causes two problems that can hurt your feet:
• Nerve damage. With damaged nerves, you might not feel pain, heat or cold in your legs and feet. A sore or cut on your foot may get worse because you do not know it is there. This lack of feeling is caused by nerve damage, also called diabetic neuropathy. Nerve damage can lead to a sore or an infection.
• Poor blood flow. The second problem happens when not enough blood flows to your legs and feet. Poor blood flow makes it hard for a sore or infection to heal. This problem is called peripheral vascular disease. Smoking when you have diabetes makes blood-flow problems worse.
If you have diabetes, be sure to talk with your healthcare team about how to avoid these issues or how to treat them if you are noticing symptoms.
— Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Good Neighbor Pharmacy Health Connection, April 2016
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