The symptoms of diabetes can be difficult to recognize, especially if you’re not familiar with them. Diabetes affects over 11 million Canadians, which makes it one of the most common diseases. Below, we’ll talk about what diabetes is and how to recognize the signs.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that affects the body’s ability to produce or use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is created by your pancreas and helps to modulate the amount of sugar (glucose) in your body’s bloodstream at any given moment. Without the ability to regulate the amount of glucose in your body, serious health complications can arise.
There are 3 main types of diabetes:
- Type 1 – Your body cannot produce insulin. This type of diabetes often presents in the early years and requires injections or an injection pump to get insulin into the body.
- Type 2 – This is the most common type of diabetes, accounting for roughly 90% of all diabetes cases. With Type 2 diabetes the body is unable to use insulin properly or is simply not making enough.
- Gestational – Diabetes that onsets during pregnancy and is temporary. Gestational diabetes mimics type 2 in that the body just is not producing enough insulin.
One other type to make note of is Prediabetes. This state is when the blood sugar levels are abnormally high but don’t cross the threshold to be classified as type 2 diabetes. It is often an early indicator of an eventual Diabetes diagnosis.
How do I recognize if I might be diabetic?
There are many different signs and symptoms of being diabetic. Below, we’ll talk about the more common signs and complications of diabetes. Please note if you suspect that you might be diabetic, reach out to your family physician or nurse practitioner.
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy – This term refers to pain or numbness in the extremities as a result of nerve damage due to high blood sugar levels. With peripheral neuropathy, the body can become less sensitive to temperature changes or feeling things such as small pebbles in a shoe. As peripheral neuropathy gets more severe the ability to feel moderate to severe pain diminishes and numbness can start to take over. This puts a person at risk for developing a sore on their foot.
Lack of energy – As the body is not producing or using insulin correctly, sugar you put into your body isn’t being used efficiently. This often can present as being hungrier and more tired as your body is not optimizing nutrition usage.
Slow healing wounds – As blood sugar rises, the body’s ability to heal wounds can become impaired. This can result in cuts that stay around for a long time and never properly heal.
Other signs and symptoms to make note of; urinating frequently, rapid weight gain or loss, increased thirst.
What can I do if I am diabetic?
It’s important to lower and stabilize your blood sugar levels. Also, you will want to follow closely with your family doctor/nurse practitioner. Finally, it is important to have routine eye and foot exams. Come see us for all your diabetic footcare needs!
Did you know that at BioPed we offer clinical foot assessments where we use a Diabetic Risk Assessment Screening Tool? This tool helps us and your physician/nurse practitioner assess your lower limb risk level and recommend when to come back for another assessment. Utilizing this tool is key in monitoring your foot health long term.
Foot and lower limb health is crucial for people who suffer from diabetes as otherwise small problems can become big ones if not addressed quickly. There are many different products and services that we provide that can help.
Socks This might seem small but a great quality sock can make all the difference. Whether it’s a simple diabetic crew sock from SimCan or a medical grade compression device from Sigvaris, making those toes happy is critical.
Footwear is another tool at your disposal to combat the effects of diabetes and lower limb pain. Having a properly fitted shoe is important in reducing pressure points on your feet. Good shoes make your feet more efficient at managing the pressure you put on them daily.
Even orthotics can make a huge difference! Whether you are experiencing general leg and foot pain, a wound, or just a callus…no matter what the issue is, our BioPed clinical team can address it all with orthotics.
If you’re suffering from lower limb pain that limits you from doing what you love, please book an appointment today! At BioPed Footcare, whether it’s socks, orthotics, footwear or skin & nail care – we are here to help you. Meet with one of BioPed’s lower limb clinicians to see how we can keep your feet and legs healthy!
