Diabetic foot conditions
Diabetic foot conditions
The specialized care your feet need
Diabetes can interfere with your body’s ability to fight infection. Knowing what steps to take to avoid infections can help you stay active and healthy. If you’re living with diabetes, you may have a higher risk of foot-related complications.
Types of diabetic foot conditions
Elevated or high blood sugar levels can damage nerves in your feet. That nerve damage can lead to other complications and foot conditions. Common diabetic foot conditions include:
- Athlete’s foot
- Neuropathy
- Skin changes
- Calluses
- Foot ulcers
- Poor circulation
- Fractures or dislocations
- Charcot foot (loss of sensation in feet or legs)
- Peripheral vascular disease
Our podiatry team is here to help you prevent these conditions — or treat them if they do pop up.
Symptoms of diabetic foot conditions
Diabetes-related foot conditions can cause symptoms like:
- Changes in skin color or temperature
- Corns or calluses
- Dry and cracking skin, especially around your heel
- Ingrown toenails or toenail fungus
- Open foot sores that are slow to heal or are draining
- Swelling or pain in your foot or ankle
- Unusual foot odor
- Tingling or burning sensations
- Weakness or loss of feeling in your foot
Just because you have these symptoms in your feet doesn’t mean they’re related to diabetes. Speak to your healthcare provider to rule out other health conditions.
Preventing diabetic foot conditions
When you have diabetes, caring for your feet is crucial. Our team will work with you to develop a plan to keep your feet as healthy as possible. That can help you avoid amputation. Here are few ways you can protect your feet.
- Check your feet every day for cuts, sores, warm spots or calluses.
- Wear properly fitting shoes.
- Clean your feet with warm water feet daily.
- Get regular foot exams.
- Stay active.
Treatment for diabetic foot conditions
Depending on the severity of your foot condition, your provider may recommend one or more of the following treatments:
Care for diabetic foot conditions at Geisinger
If you do have a diabetic foot condition, you have options like educational resources and regular foot care. We’ll partner with you so you can live your healthiest life. We offer:
- Comprehensive podiatry care – Get treatment for a wide range of foot conditions, from common foot pain to complex wound management. Our podiatrists will work with you to create a custom treatment plan and with doctors in other specialty areas, including orthopaedics, to make sure you get the care you need.
- The knowledge you need – Your care team includes podiatrists, doctors and specialists with years of training and experience. Their expertise has been honed by treating many diabetic foot conditions every year. Their focus is on delivering the care best suited to your needs.
- Timely treatment – Timing is everything to help you avoid an amputation. Our limb salvage team will work with you quickly to get you back to you again.
- Orthotic care – Our orthotics specialists provide custom braces and shoes that help treat several types of foot and ankle pain, foot complications related to diabetes and more.
- Adult diabetes education – Through a specialized program called “Diabetes Self-Management Training,” our team can help you learn how to reach your health goals and manage heart, vascular, kidney and urinary conditions related to diabetes.
- Excellent care in your neighborhood – With locations throughout central and northeastern Pennsylvania, exceptional care is never far from home.