Diabetes very often causes complications on the legs. Leg problems affect 25-35% of all diabetics throughout their lives. And the older the patient, the greater the likelihood of their occurrence. Foot diseases in diabetes cause a lot of trouble for patients and doctors. Legs hurt due to diabetes - unfortunately, there is no simple solution to this problem yet. You will have to do your best to heal. Moreover, you need to be treated only by a professional doctor, and in no case with “folk remedies”. This article will tell you what to do. Treatment goals:
If attention is not paid to the prevention and treatment of diabetes complications on the feet, the patient may lose his toes or entire foot.
Now the patient’s legs do not hurt, because the operation to expand the lumen in the arteries improved the blood flow in them, and the tissues of the legs stopped sending pain signals
With diabetes, the legs hurt because atherosclerosis leaves too narrow a gap in the blood vessels. The tissues of the legs do not receive enough blood, “suffocate” and therefore send signals of pain. Surgery to restore blood flow in the arteries of the lower extremities can relieve pain and improve the quality of life of a diabetic.
There are two main scenarios in which foot problems occur in diabetes:
Nerve damage due to elevated blood glucose levels is called diabetic neuropathy. This complication of diabetes causes the patient to lose the ability to feel touch in their legs, pain, pressure, heat and cold. Now if he hurts his leg, he won't feel it. Most diabetics in this situation develop ulcers on the legs and soles of the feet, which take a long time and are difficult to heal.
If the sensitivity of the legs is weakened, then wounds and ulcers do not cause pain. Even if a dislocation or fracture of the foot bones occurs, it will be practically painless. This is called diabetic foot syndrome. Since patients do not feel pain, many of them are lazy to follow the doctor’s recommendations. As a result, bacteria multiply in the wounds and the leg often has to be amputated due to gangrene.
If the patency of blood vessels decreases, then the tissues of the legs begin to “starve” and send pain signals. The pain may occur at rest or only when walking. In a sense, if your legs hurt due to diabetes, this is even good. Because pain in the legs encourages a diabetic to see a doctor and try his best to get treatment. In today's article we will look at just such a situation.
Problems with the blood vessels supplying the legs are called “peripheral artery disease.” Peripheral means far from the center. If the lumen in the vessels is narrowed, then most often in diabetes there is intermittent claudication. This means that due to severe pain in the legs, the patient has to walk slowly or stop.
If peripheral artery disease is accompanied by diabetic neuropathy, pain may be mild or even absent entirely. The combination of blocked blood vessels and loss of pain sensitivity greatly increases the likelihood that a diabetic will have to have one or both legs amputated. Because leg tissue continues to deteriorate due to “starvation”, even if the patient does not feel pain.
It is necessary to carefully examine your legs and feet every day, especially as you get older. If blood flow through the vessels is disrupted, you will be able to notice early external signs of this. Symptoms of early stage peripheral artery disease:
An experienced doctor knows how to check by touch what the patient’s pulse is in the arteries that feed the tissues of the legs. This is considered the simplest and most accessible method for identifying peripheral circulatory disorders. At the same time, pulsation in the artery stops or decreases significantly only when its lumen is narrowed by 90% or more. This is too late to prevent tissue starvation.
Therefore, more sensitive research methods are used using modern medical equipment. The ratio of systolic (“upper”) pressure in the arteries of the leg and brachial artery is calculated. This is called the ankle-brachial index (ABI). If it is in the range of 0.9-1.2, then the blood flow in the legs is considered normal. The pressure in the digital artery is also measured.
The ankle-brachial index gives unreliable information if the vessels are affected by Mönckeberg atherosclerosis, that is, covered with limescale “scale” from the inside. This happens very often in elderly patients. Therefore, methods are needed that provide more accurate and stable results. This is especially important when deciding on a surgical operation to restore vascular patency so that the legs stop hurting.
Elevated blood glucose levels entail multiple disorders of all types of metabolism, which in turn provoke the development of serious complications. Pain in the legs in diabetes occurs in a third of patients. It is the lower extremities of diabetics that suffer first of all, since peripheral tissues with problems with blood vessels are most severely lacking in nutrition. In addition, the legs are exposed to intense stress every day and are injured more often than other parts of the body.
To relieve pain and maintain the ability to move independently, treatment should begin at the first sign of diabetes affecting the feet. If the disease is neglected, diabetic changes in the lower extremities can result in trophic ulcers, amputations of fingers or feet.
Unpleasant sensations in the legs with diabetes can be caused by the following complications of this incurable disease:
Due to the fact that the cause of all these changes is the same - high sugar, a diabetic patient without normal treatment after a few years develops a complex of complications in the lower extremities, each of which causes pain. Pathologies of leg tissue due to diabetes mellitus are collectively called diabetic foot syndrome.
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Disorders of carbohydrate metabolism are accompanied by an increase in blood glucose levels; the condition leads to damage to the innervation of the tissues of the lower extremities. The patient loses sensation and experiences constant pain in the legs. Therefore, in order to maintain the ability to move, it is necessary to begin treatment of legs with diabetes mellitus at an early stage of the disease.
High levels of sugar in the body contribute to impaired blood circulation in the vessels, affecting the transmission of impulses to nerve fibers, which leads to low sensitivity of the lower extremities. As a rule, damage to the leg occurs in an area that receives heavy load during movement.
Very often the condition is complicated by trophic ulcers and cracks, the reason for this is the patient’s untimely seeking of medical help.
The main causes of diseases of the lower extremities in diabetes mellitus:
With severe hyperglycemia, patients often complain that their legs hurt due to diabetes. A feeling of pain in the lower extremities appears in both the first and second types of diabetes.
Typical reasons why legs hurt in diabetes:
Leg disease most often occurs with type 2 diabetes, as it develops in older people against the background of atherosclerosis and obesity. Diabetics need to monitor the condition of their feet by conducting a daily inspection from the tips of the toes to the femur, paying attention to areas that are subject to increased stress when walking. At the first symptoms of a change in the appearance of the lower extremities, immediate treatment should be started, since amputation of a limb is a serious complication of impaired blood circulation over a long period of time.
The patient should pay attention to the following signs:
Most often, patients complain that their legs go numb after or during walking; the condition is accompanied by severe pain and often ends in cramps.
How to treat legs with diabetes while maintaining the ability to move?
The main goal of diabetes therapy is constant control of blood glucose levels.
The choice of drugs for the treatment of symptoms of lower extremity lesions should be made on an individual basis, taking into account the patient’s compatibility with the drug.
Main directions of therapy:
In case of severe disruption of blood flow, surgical intervention is indicated to restore its normal circulation.
Treatment of leg wounds should take into account the severity of the pathological process and the presence of concomitant diseases.
Only after a comprehensive diagnosis can a specialist prescribe a drug that will be suitable for this type of pathology
Ulcers on the legs in diabetes mellitus are treated with antiseptic water and alcohol solutions in the area of direct localization of the wound surface. To enhance the healing process of ulcers, wound healing agents are used, which promotes increased cell division and the formation of new skin cells.
In case of severe degenerative changes in the skin, it is necessary to resort to surgical intervention, during which the affected areas with signs of necrosis are eliminated.
The following groups of drugs are used in conservative treatment:
Treatment for leg swelling due to diabetes is aimed at reducing tissue swelling and preventing the progression of the condition. For these purposes, types of diuretics are prescribed that remove excess fluid from the body. Diuretics are prescribed provided there is no severe kidney damage.
Treatment for leg pain due to diabetes is aimed at reducing the level of hyperglycemia and eliminating painful sensations.
What to do at home to reduce pain without taking medications:
Most diabetics have a question about whether the symptoms of the disease can be cured by using alternative medicine recipes.
The disease can be cured by supplementing drug therapy with folk remedies based on herbal decoctions and infusions.
Treatment of legs with folk remedies for diabetes will help complement drug therapy
Effective recipes for relieving pain and swelling of leg tissues due to illness:
With timely detection and treatment of pathology, severe complications that can lead to leg amputation can be avoided. If you follow all the recommendations and prescriptions of a specialist, it is possible to maintain free movement without pain on both legs.
Persistent increases in blood sugar (glucose) levels can be associated with serious complications in people with diabetes.
Feet are particularly at risk. In people with diabetes, two complications called diabetic neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease can cause damage to the foot (and other parts of the body).
Chronically elevated sugar levels associated with uncontrolled diabetes can cause nerve damage, which interferes with the ability to sense pain and temperature. This so-called “sensory diabetic neuropathy” increases the risk that a person with diabetes may not notice problems developing in his or her foot.
About 10% of patients with diabetes develop leg ulcers, which are a consequence of peripheral vascular disease and nerve damage. People with diabetes may not notice sores or cuts on the leg, which in turn can lead to infection. Nerve damage can also affect the function of the foot muscles, leading to foot misalignment and injury.
Diabetes is associated with poor circulation (blood flow). Inadequate blood circulation increases the time it takes for wounds and cuts to heal. Peripheral vascular disease refers to impaired circulation in the arms and legs.
Poor blood flow increases the risk that the infection will not be cured. This, in turn, increases the risk of developing ulcers and gangrene, which is tissue necrosis and occurs in limited areas with poor circulation.
The following pictures depict the most common foot problems that can occur in any person. However, patients with diabetes have an increased risk of developing severe complications, including infection and even amputation.
A fungal infection of the foot is called athlete's foot. This disease causes cracked skin, itching and redness.
The fungus gets into cracks in the skin, causing an infection that must be treated with antifungal medications. Oral medications or topical creams can also be used to treat athlete's foot.
Thick, brittle, yellow-brown or opaque nails are a common symptom of fungal infection. The infected part may break off from the rest of the nail. The fungus loves the warm, moist, dark environment created by wearing closed shoes.
Damage to your nails also increases your risk of developing a fungal infection. Such infections are difficult to treat, but not impossible. Oral medications work well to treat fungal nail infections. Topical treatment is effective only for certain types of fungal infections. Sometimes surgery is necessary to remove infected areas of the nail.
Corns are areas of thickened skin that grow on the sole of the foot. The formation of corns can be caused by uneven weight distribution, skin pathologies or unsuitable shoes.
Having a few corns is not that bad. It is important to never try to cut them off as this can cause serious injury.
A callus is a thickened area of skin that forms between the toes or near the bony prominences of the toes. Calluses can cause pressure and friction.
Use the following tips to care for calluses:
Blisters are raised, fluid-filled areas of skin that form due to friction. Crushing or punching a blister is not the best way to treat it, since the skin covering the blister protects against infection.
To care for a blister, keep your skin clean, apply an antibacterial cream or ointment, and cover it with a bandage to reduce the risk of infection.
Hallux valgus is a painful, red, calloused area that forms on the outside of the big toe joint. This pathology can be observed on both feet and has a hereditary tendency to develop. Wearing uncomfortable high-heeled shoes increases the risk of developing hallux valgus by squeezing the big toes in an unnatural position.
Covering the deformation with a special pad helps protect it. Toe separators and other devices may be used to keep the thumb in the correct position. If hallux valgus is very painful or disfiguring, surgery may be used to relieve symptoms.
Dry, cracked skin allows bacteria and other pathogens to enter your body, potentially causing an infection. Moisturizing soaps, lotions, and other products can help keep the skin barrier soft, intact, and healthy.
Leg ulcers are dangerous sores that can occur in patients with diabetes. When a small scratch, skin break or wound on the foot becomes infected, an ulcer can form.
In people with diabetes, wounds heal very slowly or not at all. Early diagnosis and treatment are necessary to reduce the risk of complications. Your doctor is the best source of information about how to properly care for foot wounds.
Weakening the muscles of the toes contributes to the development of hammertoe deformities. This weakening shortens the tendons in the fingers, causing them to bend.
Hammer toes can be hereditary. In addition, this pathology can be caused by wearing unsuitable shoes. Toe deformities can cause problems such as corns, sores, blisters and difficulty walking. Corrective shoes and splints can help treat and correct hammertoes. Sometimes surgery is necessary to straighten the affected fingers.
Ingrown toenails get their name from when they grow into the skin along the edges of the nail plate. An ingrown toenail can cause pain and damage to the skin, which can lead to infection.
Wearing ill-fitting shoes increases the risk of developing an ingrown toenail. Intense exercise such as running and aerobics may contribute to this problem. Walking, squeezing your toes, and improperly trimming your nails can also cause this condition.
The best way to prevent ingrown toenails is to keep them trimmed. If an ingrown toenail becomes infected, professional medical treatment is necessary. Sometimes surgery is needed to remove the affected part of the nail and the growth zone from which it grows.
Thickened areas on the sole of the foot that have small black spots or pores are most likely plantar warts.
They are caused by a virus. The affected areas of the skin are painful and may appear alone or in groups. Treating plantar warts on your own is a bad idea. When in doubt, your doctor can determine whether the lesion is a corn or a wart.
Taking good care of your feet can prevent problems from developing before they start! Follow these tips to reduce your risk of developing frequent foot problems and serious complications associated with them.
Living with diabetes requires you to pay special attention to your health and illness. Follow your doctor's instructions about diet, exercise, and medications.
Keeping your blood glucose levels within the recommended range is the best thing you can do to control your condition and protect your legs.
Carefully inspect your feet for redness, blisters, sores, calluses, and other signs of irritation. Daily checks are especially important if you have poor circulation.
Diabetes mellitus and leg problems. Prevention tip No. 3
Follow these tips for proper foot care:
After bathing, use a pumice stone or a special device to smooth out thickened areas of skin on your feet (corns and calluses).
It is best to rub them in one direction. Talk to your doctor about the proper way to use pumice stones or foot rubs.
Follow these care tips to prevent the development of ingrown toenails:
Diabetes and foot problems. Prevention tip No. 6
Proper shoes, socks and stockings can help protect your feet. Follow these tips:
Diabetes mellitus and leg problems. Prevention tip No. 7
To keep blood flowing in your legs, follow these tips:
Quit smoking if you have this bad habit. Smoking worsens circulatory problems.
People with diabetes should visit a doctor (preferably a podiatrist) every 2-3 months, even if they do not have any problems with their legs. At each appointment, ask your doctor to carefully examine your feet. An annual foot examination should include:
Contact your doctor if you notice any of the following signs:
Diabetes mellitus is a disease that brings with it many problems. All of them are associated with increased sugar levels in the blood and all tissues of the body. They lead to the fact that the blood vessels become thinner, and the overall defenses of the body are weakened.
As a result, many complications arise - difficulties with the eyes may begin, failures in the functioning of the kidneys and heart may occur. Moreover, there are a number of conditions caused by diabetes that can even be fatal.
The legs are one of the main targets of the disease. Due to high sugar, blood supply to the vessels, including the lower extremities, is disrupted.
When your legs hurt due to diabetes, what to do is the main question for the patient. True, before you start dealing with this problem, you need to understand what exactly caused it.
Let's try to figure out what causes pain:
The pain can be especially excruciating at night: it often prevents a person from living a normal life.
Any lesion, due to a decrease in the patient’s sensitivity, can lead to gangrene, and this can lead to amputation of the limb. Such terrible consequences cause:
The legs may swell so much that it becomes difficult for a person to walk, even to the point of complete inability to move. Therefore, when your legs hurt due to diabetes, what to do is the first question of interest to both the patient and the doctor.
It's definitely worth doing. The first and main method of diagnosis is to independently examine your legs and feet - if you have diabetes, doctors have probably already told you about possible complications, including those in the lower extremities.
Other studies are also being carried out:
Leg pain due to diabetes can be treated. It has three directions:
In the process, you may have to decide on an operation, the purpose of which will be to restore blood flow in the vessels.
You should not take painkillers or other medications. Their effect is temporary, and they do not cure, but only eliminate pain. Moreover, they may cause side effects.
The more attentive you are to your health, the fewer problems you will have with it. Diabetics should examine their feet regularly and carefully to identify any defects early.
There are other care rules:
Follow these tips for caring for your feet if you have diabetes:
Do not forget to regularly see your doctor and inform him about changes in your condition. Carry out self-diagnosis regularly and thoroughly.
Diabetes mellitus is a complex chronic disease that provokes the development of many pathologies of internal systems and human organs. Diabetes often causes vision impairment, diseases of the blood vessels, heart, and also leads to irreversible changes in the peripheral and central nervous systems.
Therefore, people suffering from this disease usually have a whole “bouquet” of concomitant diseases that arise almost immediately. Many patients develop serious problems, in particular, fingers suffer from diabetes: their sensitivity decreases, and they become cold to the touch.
According to WHO, every year 2 million people die from diabetes and its complications around the world. In the absence of qualified support for the body, diabetes leads to various kinds of complications, gradually destroying the human body.
The most common complications are: diabetic gangrene, nephropathy, retinopathy, trophic ulcers, hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis. Diabetes can also lead to the development of cancer. In almost all cases, a diabetic either dies fighting a painful disease or becomes a real disabled person.
What should people with diabetes do? The Endocrinological Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences managed to create a remedy that completely cures diabetes mellitus.
Currently, the Federal program “Healthy Nation” is underway, within the framework of which this drug is given to every resident of the Russian Federation and the CIS for FREE . For detailed information, see the official website of the Ministry of Health.
In diabetes mellitus, blood circulation and nerve conduction in the feet are impaired, which leads to numbness in the toes. Such symptoms can be explained by constant high blood sugar levels, which have a destructive effect on blood vessels and adversely affect hemostasis.
As a result, blood microcirculation in the extremities deteriorates, which leads to disruption of metabolic processes in tissues. This is why fingers and often feet go numb in diabetes. In addition, insufficient blood circulation is the cause of freezing feet in diabetics, even in summer.
Lack of nutrients leads to the fact that nerve fibers in the lower extremities gradually die, which is why the brain cannot normally receive nerve impulses. Over time, partial or complete loss of sensation in the legs occurs, and this significantly increases the risk of injury. Therefore, patients with diabetes need special care for their feet.
I have been studying the problem of DIABETES for many years. It's scary when so many people die and even more become disabled due to diabetes.
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Another good news: the Ministry of Health has achieved the adoption of a special program under which almost the entire cost of the drug is compensated. In Russia and the CIS countries, diabetics can receive the drug under a special program for FREE .
Treatment of numbness of the toes in diabetes mellitus can be effective only at the beginning of the development of the pathology. By paying attention to alarming symptoms in a timely manner, the patient increases the chances of saving the nerve endings.
In such cases, it is necessary to carefully monitor blood sugar levels, since lowering them will help restore normal functioning of the nervous system and the functioning of nerve impulses.
In diabetes, numbness of the toes is treated with daily physiotherapy, balneological baths, and a special set of physical exercises. If your legs are swollen, your doctor may recommend a therapeutic massage. In addition, treatment of toes for diabetes mellitus consists of:
The main reason for the development of various pathologies that lead to blackening of the nail plates and toes in diabetes mellitus (photo above) is impaired metabolism. It is aggravated by blood sugar, the level of which is constantly changing.
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Under the influence of diabetes mellitus, the structure of the nails changes: they become very fragile and brittle. In addition, the development of burdened varicose veins or impaired vascular patency is possible. All these pathologies can adversely affect the condition of the fingers and nails.
Typically, all these conditions in diabetics are not accompanied by painful or other symptoms. However, without appropriate treatment, a diabetic’s general health gradually worsens: weakness appears, which in some cases is accompanied by loss of consciousness. This sign indicates the addition of an infection or the development of more serious pathologies.
Diabetes mellitus on a finger or toe is often accompanied by ingrowth of nails into the soft tissue. This pathology is explained by weak muscle function, which leads to poor blood circulation in the foot. Incorrect and uncomfortable position of the fingers while walking provokes the edge of the nail plate to enter the skin, which leads to redness and swelling.
Over time, due to an ingrown nail, suppuration may begin, developing into infection of the soft tissues of the fingers. This situation threatens the patient with serious problems: surgical removal of a nail or even the entire finger and the appearance of diabetic foot.
In order to prevent pressure on the nails, you should purchase comfortable shoes, preferably made from natural materials and strictly in size. Women should avoid wearing fashionable shoes or sandals with narrow toes and high heels.
If your toes hurt due to diabetes, you should not put off visiting a doctor - timely elimination of the cause of the pain will prevent more serious problems from arising.
The complex consequences of diabetes include dry and wet gangrene. The development of the first occurs quite slowly - the process takes months and even years. At first, the patient feels cold in his fingers. Pain and burning are gradually added to this sensation. Over time, the affected areas lose sensitivity.
Localization of dry gangrene is usually observed on the fingers of the lower extremities: a necrotic focus is formed, which is characterized by pale skin. In some cases, a pink or blue tint is possible.
The skin is very dry and peeling. With the development of the disease, mummification of damaged tissues and their rejection occurs. With dry gangrene, there is usually no danger to life, but in most cases, amputation of the toe for diabetes mellitus is carried out in such cases. This reduces the risk of possible complications.
The development of wet gangrene occurs rapidly. It is very easy to recognize by the greenish or blue-violet color of the affected finger, a putrid pungent odor, and the formation of blisters in the area with dead tissue.
The pathology is also characterized by neutrophilic leukocytosis and increased ESR. Skin, bones, muscles, subcutaneous tissue, and tendons are affected. At the same time, the diabetic has a high temperature, and the general condition requires immediate surgical intervention. In such situations, a person's life is at risk.
Surgery for wet gangrene involves excision of dead tissue above the area of necrosis. This is done to ensure that gangrene caused by diabetes in the toe does not lead to the need to amputate the entire foot. In addition to surgical intervention, it is important to take a number of measures to prevent the development of infections and intoxication. To this end:
Daily inspection of the skin of the feet and fingers should be mandatory. This will allow you to timely detect a callus, ingrown nail plate or other subtle damage that can cause serious complications. Timely consultation with a doctor and proper treatment will help a diabetic avoid many problems, and often save his life.
If you are reading these lines, we can conclude that you or your loved ones have diabetes.
We conducted an investigation, studied a bunch of materials and, most importantly, tested most of the methods and medications for diabetes. The verdict is:
If all the drugs were given, it was only a temporary result; as soon as the use was stopped, the disease sharply intensified.
The only drug that has given significant results is Diawell.
At the moment, this is the only drug that can completely cure diabetes. Diawell showed a particularly strong effect in the early stages of the development of diabetes mellitus.
We made a request to the Ministry of Health:
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