Diabetic foot

As pedicurists, we all know something about diabetes (diabetes mellitus). During the basic training, all new pedicurists have to learn about this disorder. As a pedicurist, you can specialize in the diabetic foot. Naturally, I gained this specialization and then started as a teacher for this particular part of foot care.

What is diabetes mellitus?

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder caused by insufficient or no insulin action, resulting in an increased blood glucose level. The pancreas (pancreas) releases insulin into the body. This function can be disturbed. There may be something wrong with the delivery of insulin because too little / insufficient insulin is produced or insulin is no longer produced at all. The body needs the insulin because the insulin brings glucose (sugar) from the blood to the muscles. Glucose is the fuel for the muscles.

What are the symptoms of diabetes mellitus?

Following are the symptoms of high blood sugar: Lots of urination, thirst, a lot of drinking, itching, cystitis, fatigue and loss of energy, infections, overeating, emaciation, sometimes blurred vision and loss of glucose through the kidneys and urine. Unfortunately, there are several complications due to diabetes. The smaller and larger blood vessels can be affected, which is called micro and macro angiopathy. There is also the neuropathy or affection of the nerve pathways. As a result of this, it is possible that a diabetic has less, little or no feeling in the feet/hands. People suffering from diabetes unfortunately can have a dulling of their pain receptors which means they often can’t feel if something is wrong or not. That means damaged areas of the foot might be left unnoticed until they become infected.

What can the pedicurist do for you?

The medical pedicurist will keep a sharp eye on a number of things and examine your feet for the following criteria: feeling in the hands and feet, skin discoloration, heat/cold sensation, calluses, injuries and their consequences, skin dryness, perspiration and fungus, foot deformations and sensitivity pain receptors in the feet. Obviously, we also look at shoes and socks. We check these important elements visually but also by means of a screening with a monofilament test (a test for assessing the loss of protective sensation, and it is recommended by several practice guidelines to detect peripheral neuropathy in otherwise normal feet), tuning fork (deeper feeling) and with the inside gauge (measuring shoes in relation to feet). Naturally, we give you important advice on the purchase of new shoes.

With an additional supplementary health insurance, most insurance companies will partially reimburse the amount of the foot treatment when you visit a medical pedicurist.

 

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