Diabetic Foot Care in New Orleans

Diabetic patients require advanced care for prevention and treatment of problems. Dr. Glovinsky has extensive experience in treating diabetic patients. Our regimen of scheduled diabetic foot care and patient education has proven results in reducing complications which can occur in patients with diabetes. Working closely with vascular surgeons, infection specialists and local wound care centers is an important part of every treatment plan that we carefully create.

Common Foot Complications

People with diabetes can develop many different foot problems. Even ordinary problems can get worse and lead to serious complications because of your diabetes.

Foot problems most often happen when there is nerve damage, also called neuropathy, which results in loss of feeling in your feet. Poor blood flow or changes in the shape of your feet or toes may also cause problems.

Neuropathy

Neuropathy is nerve damage and can commonly happen to people with diabetes. Diabetic nerve damage can lessen your ability to feel pain, heat, and cold. This type of nerve damage can lead to changes in the shape of your feet and also your toes. We can help you with special therapeutic shoes that would alow your feet to be more comfortable as opposed to forcing deformed feet and toes into regular shoes.

The nerves that control the oil and moisture in our feet could be effected by diabetes. Our feet may become very dry and peel and crack. The problem is that the nerves that control the oil and moisture in your foot no longer work.

Calluses

Calluses occur more often and build up faster on the feet of people who have diabetes because there are high-pressure areas under the foot. If you do have calluses, you might need therapeutic shoes and inserts to help them and if calluses are left untreated, they could turn into ulcers which are open sores. You should never try to cut calluses or corns by yourself because it might lead to ulcers and infection.

Foot Ulcers

Most often, ulcers occur on the ball of the foot or on the bottom of the big toe. Sometimes, an ulcer might occur on the side of the foot and that is ordinarily due to poorly fitting shoes. Remember, even though some ulcers do not hurt, every ulcer should be seen by a medical professional immediately. Neglecting ulcers can result in infections, which in turn could lead to something as severe as the loss of a limb.

Poor Circulation

Poor circulation in your feet can make your foot less able to fight infection and to heal. Diabetes causes blood vessels of the foot and leg to narrow and harden. You can control some of the things that cause poor blood flow. Don’t smoke; smoking makes arteries harden faster.

Amputation

People with diabetes are far more likely to have a foot or leg amputated than other people. Many people with diabetes have peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which reduces blood flow to the feet. Also, many people with diabetes have nerve disease, which reduces sensation. Together, these problems make it easy to get ulcers and infections that may lead to amputation. Most amputations are preventable with regular care and proper footwear.

Metairie
Doctor’s Row
3939 Houma Blvd.
Building 6 Suite 224 Metairie, LA 70006

New Orleans
Touro Medical Office Building
3525 Prytania Street
Suite 230
New Orleans, LA 70115