plantar warts and other foot issues

[dar917]

I had a bunch of plantar warts on my left foot which I had removed about a year and a half ago. It took four or five sessions of freezing them to get rid of them. God only knows where I got them from. :( Now there's another one or is coming back. I'm still waiting for Ucare so I can't go in and have it looked at yet. This sucks! :mad:

Also, I've got this book from the library called 1001 Tips for Living Well with Diabetes; it was published in 2004 by the ADA. I just wanted to comment on what it says about going barefoot:

I have wall-to-wall carpeting; can I walk around bare foot or in my stocking feet?

No! Carpeting does not prevent you from stepping on pins, tacks, toys, dog bones, and whatever the cat brought in. Get a good pair of house shoes or slippers to protect your feet. The only time to go without shoes is when you are in bed or bathing. Even in the summer at a beach or pool, viruses, bacteria, and foreign bodies are lurking, just waiting for your bare feet. Always wear protective footgear.

You know what? Bollocks to that!
OK to be fair I can understand wearing shoes at a pool or beach or whatever. You should wear water shoes there even if you aren't diabetic. But in your own house? I think that's a little extreme. When I was in the hospital I asked one of the diabetes specialists about it and she said it was fine to wear sandals for going out. I can't stand wearing shoes and socks as it is; my feet get hot easily. I'm not giving up my flip flops that easily, and I'll be gawd****ed if I'm wearing shoes around the house. :eviltongu

[kgm0612]

I always have something on my feet (slippers, sandles, sneakers) while walking around INSIDE my own house. It's just something I have always done.

Karen

[shockme]

i absolutely HATE wearing shoes!!!!! but i broke down and got slippers for in the house...tho since i don't have nueropathy and could feel if i got hurt-why have to wear shoes? and since my bgs are good,even if i got a cut or something,i doubt i'd end up an amputee....trish

[volleyball]

I learned the joy of unencumbered feet when I moved to Hawaii. Never looked back.
The issue with bare feet is neuropothy. If you don't have it, whats the problem. I play volleyball all summer long bare foot. My feet are fine, no loss of sensitivity or color.
Funny, I do play with two other people who were discussing their plantars last week, neither is diabetic, one is a doctor and both play in shoes even in the sand. I was only interested as I am concerned about my feet because of the possibility.

[xMenace]

I learned the joy of unencumbered feet when I moved to Hawaii. Never looked back.
The issue with bare feet is neuropothy. If you don't have it, whats the problem. I play volleyball all summer long bare foot. My feet are fine, no loss of sensitivity or color.
Funny, I do play with two other people who were discussing their plantars last week, neither is diabetic, one is a doctor and both play in shoes even in the sand. I was only interested as I am concerned about my feet because of the possibility.


It's more than neuropathy. Poor circulation greatly inhibits your ability to fight infection in the extremities. You break the skin you are at greater risk whether you can feel it or not. Assume as a diabetic you have blood vessel damage and at least some degree of circulation problem.

Thousands are amputated each year, and I plan on not being one of them.

[xMenace]

NewsOK: Limb amputations avoidable with proper diabetes care (http://newsok.com/article/3121084/1189310749)

Limb amputations avoidable with proper diabetes care

By Beth Gollob
Staff Writer
Diabetes remains the nation's top cause for limb loss, causing more than 100,000 amputations a year, but doctors say they are avoidable with proper care and education.

According to the National Institutes of Health, about 60 percent of foot and leg amputations that aren't associated with trauma happen among diabetes patients. But teaching patients proper foot care could lower limb loss rates by up to 85 percent.

Diabetes puts limbs at risk for damage in three ways: blood vessel damage, neuropathy and vulnerability to infection, said Dr. Timothy Lyons, director of the Oklahoma Diabetes Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

In Oklahoma, more than 1,600 lower limb amputations were reported among diabetes patients in 2003, according to the state Health Department. More than 16 percent of Oklahomans older than 65 have diabetes.


The problem with diabetes
Diabetes includes two types of diseases in which the body's ability to produce or react to insulin is impaired, causing high blood sugar levels. This can damage blood vessels and nerves, particularly in extremities like the hands and feet.

As high blood sugar levels damage nerves in the feet, patients lose pain sensation and are more likely to injure their feet without knowing it. This is common when patients walk barefoot on hot pavement or get blisters from tight shoes, said Dr. John Muchmore, an endocrinologist at Integris Baptist Medical Center.

Add that to circulation problems caused by blood vessel damage, and sores take longer to heal.

High sugar levels also place patients at higher risk for infections as white blood cells stop working as well, Lyons said. That can transform ulcers into bone infections, sometimes leading to gangrene and amputation.

Combined with rehabilitation costs for amputees, diabetic limb loss costs the nation billions of dollars a year in Medicare costs, Lyons said.

"So many of the amputations that take place are completely preventable with the proper education,” he said.

-------------------------------------

For diabetes patients, proper foot care can make the difference between losing and keeping them. Some tips:
•Keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range.

•Check your feet daily for injuries. Use a mirror or ask for help if needed.

•Wash and dry your feet well every day. Use lotion when needed to keep skin soft, but not between the toes.

•Be gentle when treating corns or calluses or trimming toenails.

•Wear properly-fitting shoes and socks to avoid ingrown nails and blisters.

•Protect your feet from extreme temperatures.

•Keep blood circulating by frequently moving your feet.

•Get plenty of exercise and do not smoke.

•Have your doctor check your feet often. Call immediately if you find a wound that does not start healing after one day.

•Avoid going barefoot when possible to avoid injury.
Source: National Institutes of Health

[volleyball]

Maybe because I do not suffer from any of those things. I have seen the feet of poor management diabetics and their feet look abnormal. My feet are lean with veins, bones and ligaments observable

[xMenace]

Maybe because I do not suffer from any of those things. I have seen the feet of poor management diabetics and their feet look abnormal. My feet are lean with veins, bones and ligaments observable

It's the tips of the toes and the padded contact parts you need to worry about. I don't think you can visibly assert their circulation.

By definition almost all diabetics suffer from high blood sugars. Take a time of illness with the flu or pneumonia for example.

I don't doubt your a low risk person; I just hate making such assumptions myself, so I'm playing devil's advocate. I often don't wear anything too. I've been proven wrong too many times with this crazy disease :(

[Erin]

My boyfriend (who does not have diabetes, fyi) noticed a plantar wart when we were on vacation recently. As we were far from home and not able to go see a doc we just went to the pharmacy. The pharmacist recommended compoundW and we bought it. After a few days of applications the wart fell off and healed. No more plantar wart.

Dunno if that advice would be given to a T1D, but it solved the problem for bf.