When The Shoe Fits

Everyone needs good footwear. But when you have diabetes, shoes are about more than just fashion.

- Christine Yu

High blood sugar contributes to poor blood circulation. It can also damage nerves in your feet, a condition called neuropathy. Neuropathy can cause you to lose feeling in your feet, which may make it difficult for you to realise if you have got yourself cut or injured. If you leave a cut untreated, it can lead to an infection. Poor circulation can make it difficult to heal cuts and infections. Poorly controlled blood sugar can damage many parts of the body, including the nerves and vessels that go to the feet. Because of this, people with diabetes have an increased risk of developing foot problems.

It is estimated that up to 50 per cent of people with diabetes have peripheral neuropathy, a type of nerve damage that affects your ability to sense pain and hot or cold temperatures. And as many as half may have no symptoms. Normally, if you have a blister, you feel it and stop wearing a certain shoe. But if you don’t have sensation in your feet, you may keep wearing the shoe and walking on the area that’s sore. Those pressure points can turn into foot ulcers and cause a cascade of problems. But the right footwear can go a long way towards keeping serious foot complications at bay. Considering all the problems related to feet health, we have got some solutions which you should keep in mind when hitting the store.

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