Diabetic Foot

The foot is considered the part of the body most affected by diabetes and its complications. Since diabetes causes reduced sensation in the feet, many pathological changes may occur without clear symptoms that alert the patient to seek treatment before the condition worsens. Therefore, the term “diabetic foot” refers to the foot of a diabetic patient, including all effects of diabetes on the foot, such as:

1. The effect of diabetes on peripheral nerves, such as peripheral neuropathy (nerve inflammation).
2. The effect of diabetes on peripheral blood vessels, such as peripheral circulatory insufficiency.
3. The effect of diabetes on foot joints, such as foot deformities.
4. The effect of diabetes on the skin, such as dry skin, calluses, and fungal infections.
5. The effect of diabetes on the nails, such as nail calcification and fungal nail infections.
6. The effect of diabetes on the bones, such as osteoporosis of the foot resulting from peripheral neuropathy.

The presence of multiple effects of diabetes on the foot may lead to more serious complications, such as diabetic foot ulcers, which can further progress to severe conditions like gangrene and amputation. It is important to emphasize that using the term “diabetic foot” only to refer to advanced stages of the disease, such as gangrene and amputation, is a misconception that should be corrected among everyone.

Due to the significant neglect in foot care services for diabetic patients in most developing countries, the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization designated World Diabetes Day in 2005 to raise awareness among doctors and patients about the importance of early detection of foot problems in diabetic patients and the significance of early treatment in order to prevent amputation. This is especially important because amputation can often be prevented through many low-cost measures that are, at the same time, highly effective.