Peripheral Arterial Disease, not a life sentence

Image via WikipediaAre you one of the many who has noticed pain when you walk, but the pain disappears after a few moments of rest? Ever experience coldness in your leg or foot? You may be showing early signs of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) and need to schedule an appointment with Dr. Teichman.

Other symptoms may include:

•    Leg numbness or weakness
•    Sores on foot or leg that will not heal
•    Shiny skin on your legs
•    Loss of hair on legs
•    Change of skin color on legs

Peripheral Arterial Disease is a major complication that can develop from Diabetes. If you are diagnosed with PAD, treatment has two goals. First is to reduce or manage pain so that you may resume your normal activities, and the second is to prevent the buildup of artery blockage, which could cause you a stroke or heart attack.  Dr. Teichman can do a thorough evaluation to determine your risk and educate you on what needs to be done to help you manage your situation. If need be, he can help with the healing of ulcerated skin, advise you in proper footwear, perform treatment on corns and calluses, prescribe medications and also make other recommendations. You may be able to manage PAD by making some lifestyle changes that would include stop smoking as well as changes in diet and exercise, but there are some cases where surgery may have to be performed. This might include a procedure to unblock the arteries.

If you have peripheral arterial disease and it is allowed to go untreated, you could possibly experience pain that is so severe it may affect your very lifestyle. If you continue to ignore the warning signs, you could be placing your life at risk. As with any medical concern, it is best to seek treatment early.  Do not allow the symptoms to become increasingly worse. This is not a disease that will disappear in time if left untreated, and you risk amputation or possibly your life. 

If you experience pain, coldness, numbness or sores or infections that take a long time to heal or do not heal at all, call Dr. Teichman at (610) 432-9593.  He can evaluate you and get you started on an individual treatment plan. Peripheral Arterial does not have to be a life sentence. There are treatments available. 

References:

http://eastpennfoot.com/video-library

www.mayoclinic.com/health/peripheral-arterial-disease/DS00537/

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Diabetes and Dry Cracked Skin

Image via WikipediaDo you find it annoyingly painful to walk due to dry cracked skin on the heels of your feet? Have you tried lotions and potions, yet still have a difficult time treating this condition? We are here today to offer some practical suggestions to try to help you make things a bit more tolerable.

Dry cracked skin is usually most problematic during the winter months. Thickening and drying of the skin occurs, and deep cracks can appear, which makes it painful to even walk. For some, dry cracked heels are a mere cosmetic annoyance, but for a person with diabetes, it can pose a greater problem and health risks. What causes dry cracked skin?

    •    Age

    •    Existing skin conditions like psoriasis

    •    Diabetes

    •    Thyroid problems

    •    Vitamin deficiencies

    •    Excess weight

As we age, the skin loses its normal elasticity. Skin conditions caused by medical disorders can contribute to dryness and weight bearing can become problematic, especially if we stand for long periods of time and the skin is under excessive stress.  Any combination of these conditions can increase the likelihood of dry cracked skin.

Symptoms of dry cracked skin include discoloration (yellowish) and thickening of the skin. If it goes untreated, the skin can crack and bleed. Deepening cracks can harbor infections. People with diabetes should check their feet regularly, because they may have decreasing sensation in their feet due to nerve damage.

    •    Bathe feet daily, test for proper temperature and dry thoroughly.

    •    Apply vitamin enriched moisturizers to the feet, but not between toes.

    •    Use a pumice stone to remove dry and calloused skin.

    •    Wear shoes and socks to protect feet. Check them for small objects that could cause injury.

    •    Check your feet daily for sores. People with diabetes are at greater risk for infection.

For the person living with diabetes, proper foot care is essential. Have regular medical checkups, and do not be bashful about exposing your toes. Still, tell your doctor immediately if you have a concern about your feet. Some doctors may prescribe orthotics to help relieve pressure on problem areas. Follow their instructions closely. If you implement a sound plan of prevention, you should make it through the winter with fewer problems, but if you have a problem, call East Penn Foot & Ankle Associates for an appointment.

So what’s worked well for your feet and dry skin? We’d like to know so comment below!

References: 

www.footsmart.com/healthcondition.aspx?ailmentid=83
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/complications_feet/#hurtfeet

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Diabetes – Harsh Climate Protection

Image via WikipediaPatients who suffer Type I or Type II Diabetes are at greater risk during the cold winter months. This is because they deal with the loss of feeling in their feet, as a result of nerve damage. Therefore, it is necessary that Diabetic patients use extra care to avoid lengthy exposure to the elements, especially during the winter months. Excessive exposure could cause frostbite, damaging skin and other cells.

When it is necessary to be outside, try to plan ahead. A common sense approach and a few items can be very helpful. Move around to stimulate circulation. Take more regular breaks to get inside out of the cold. Make sure your foot wear fits appropriately, is non-restrictive and allows enough room for an extra pair of socks. Keep an extra pair or two of warm, dry socks with you, in case your feet get damp or perspire. Make sure your outer footwear is waterproof, and replace inadequate shoes and boots as soon as possible. If you travel, allow for periodic rest stops to get out and get moving. This will allow for better circulation. Also, it is a good plan to pack along a blanket. Keep the blanket in the automobile passenger compartment with you, not in the trunk.

If you suspect that prolonged exposure to cold, snow, wind or sleet may have caused skin damage or frostbite, use caution and warm up slowly. The affected area should not be rubbed or massaged. This could cause further damage. Instead, wrap in a blanket and allow for gradual re-warming, allowing circulation to slowly improve.

If you are Diabetic and suspect over-exposure, it is recommended that you seek the advice of your foot-care specialist. The freezing of the skin or other tissue could have serious health consequences. Your doctor can advise you.

If you have any questions concerning diabetes and the affects it causes to the feet, contact Dr. Teichman at East Penn Foot & Ankle Associates on our website.

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Diabetes and Charcot Foot

Image via WikipediaWhen you read that title you might wander what charcoal has to do with feet?  Just know that this has nothing to do with charcoal, but Charcot (pronounced “sharko”) foot is a real problem that many, mostly diabetics, face.

Charcot foot is a extreme condition that happens to someone who can’t feel their feet.  The reason Charcot foot is more common with people with diabetes is because of diabetic Neuropathy, where the feeling in the foot is lost because of nerve damage.  Charcot foot is where your foot actually changes shape because of bones fracture and disintegrate.  The fact that you can’t feel the extreme pain because your foot is numb, allows you to continue walking on the foot, thus damaging the bones more.  If the Charcot foot is caught early, the problem can be treated with a total contact cast.  If the problem goes on without being treated, reconstructive surgery or amputation will be needed.

If you do catch it early enough, the cast you’ll get will be molded to fit your foot and will control your foot movement, supporting your foot in all areas.  This allows the foot to heal fully, as long as you stay off the foot, thus not damaging the foot further.  The cast will be changed frequently to continually move the shape of your foot back to normal or as close as possible without reconstructive surgery.  To get the total contact cast though, you must have good blood flow through you foot.

The other route you can go if the Charcot foot is caught early on is a custom walking boot, but this will take longer to heal because you’ll be putting weight on your foot.  The boot helps reduce the swelling in your foot, thus allowing your body’s natural healing processes to get into the injury and fix it.  The fastest way to heal a Charcot foot is to keep your weight off of it though.

If you have any questions on Charcot foot or how diabetes effects your feet, contact Dr. Adam Teichman at East Penn Foot & Ankle Associates.

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Diabetes Blog - Don’t Let Calluses Slow You Down

Image by Jill A. Brown via FlickrImage via WikipediaWhen a person has diabetes they also can develop neuropathy, which can cause damage to the nerves in the feet and can lead to loss of feeling and sensation, there is the heightened danger of developing ulcers from this loss of sensation or protective threshold.  Since people with diabetes lose the feeling in their feet, ulcers develop easier because they do not feel the discomfort that the ulcers cause. Since calluses are caused by the constant rubbing of a certain part of the shoe on a person’s foot, again – it isn’t felt and so the problem develops into a ulcer. Without neuropathy, this is usually felt and taken care of, but someone with neuropathy can’t feel the constant rubbing. Other issues can arise as a result of this rubbing – the next stage of an ulcer that hasn’t been taken care of can become very dangerous and can possibly lead to infection or even worse loss of limb.  

The danger comes in the next stage as a result of diabetic complications. A callus can be taken care of easily with routine visit to your podiatrist.  But the danger arises when a callus is fully developed and the constant rubbing continues to wear on the callus, the skin can and probably will split open and become an ulcer.  For a diabetic, a wound raises the risk of infections that can lead to that person having to have their foot amputated if it goes untreated or ignored.  This is why it is extremely important to make sure that if you have neuropathy, you need to check your feet daily!  If you catch the developing callus early, you’ll be able to take care of it before it gets worse.  It is highly recommended that you visit your podiatrist to treat the callus rather than getting treatments from the store, because your podiatrist can treat the callus more effectively and the callus will be controlled, rather than continue to develop and your podiatrist can make sure other problems do not arise.  Make sure you check your feet daily!  Getting that callus treated could save your foot from becoming a problem in the future!

If you do not have a podiatrist, Dr. Adam Teichman at East Penn Foot & Ankle Associates would love to be your podiatrist.  Check out our website at www.eastpennfoot.com or give us a call at 610-432-9593.

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Taking Care of Your Feet

If you have Diabetes, you need to constantly be on your guard for foot related injuries and problems.  So how should you take care of your feet?  Well here’s some helpful tips for you to follow as you seek to live pain free.

First, make sure you are inspecting your feet daily.  Check to see if there is any cuts, scrapes, redness, drainage, bad odor, rash, discoloration, loss of hair on toes, injuries, or if your nails have deformed, striped, yellowed, discolored, thickened or are not growing.  This way you’ll stay on top of any problems that might occur.  Another tip is to never ignore leg pain.  Leg pain could mean that you have a blocked artery, so make sure you contact your doctor immediately.  Make sure you trim your nails properly, cutting them straight, not curved.  Never trim your calluses or corns yourself and don’t use over-the-counter medicated pads, but rather contact your podiatrist to help you properly take care of the problem.  Do not go barefoot and make sure to keep floors free of sharp objects.  Also make it a habit to check your shoes and socks for any damage and make sure your socks are not bunched up anywhere on your feet. 

If you have diabetes, you should have your circulation and sense of feeling tested by a podiatrist to see if you have lost any feeling or circulation.  If you have, you probably won’t feel a cut or puncture on your foot.  That’s why it is important to inspect your feet daily, so that the wound can be taken care of properly and in a timely fashion.  That way, the wound won’t become an inflection, leading to an amputation of you leg.  Taking care of your feet is very important, to you and to us at East Penn Foot & Ankle Associates.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us or visit our website at www.eastpennfoot.com.