Care to be taken to avoid diabetic foot.

People with uncontrolled diabetes can develop changes in skin condition, calluses, dry skin, foot ulcers, nerve damage[neuropathy] and decrease of blood supply.
Foot care is very important when you have diabetes for 10 years or longer. Because of thickening of the walls of the blood vessels your feet would receive less blood.Also because of changes in the nerves[neuropathy], your feet will have less sensation. So you may not
feel that you are close to to a fire place, that a hot water bottle is not too hot, that you have an injury or infection. for this you need to take very good care of your feet at all times. Ask your doctor to examine your feet at times or see a podiatrist for regular check ups.
General foot care guidelines.
1]Clean your feet daily with a mild soap and warm water, then dry them thoroughly with a soft cotton towel. Take special care for cleaning between toes.
2]Wear properly fitting shoes with clean socks. Do not go bare foot outside the house.
3]Examine your feet properly once a week. Use hand mirror to examine the undersurface and sides.
4]Get your toe nails clipped regularly. If it hurts see a podiatrist.
5]Do not treat the in-growing toe nails, corns or calluses yourself, nor ask your friends to do so. Take advice from your doctor and get treatment from a podiatrist.
6] Do not sit close to heaters or fire place.If your feet feel cold, wear warm socks or stockings. Do not use a hot water bottle.
7]clean small cuts and sores with mild antiseptic[Listerine/Dettol] Apply antiseptic creams and sterile dressings.
8]consult your doctor or podiatrist immediately about any throbbing pain or discharge from a corn,underneath or sides of a toe nail.
Raghu Natrajan

Steps to take for diabetes eye problems.

Uncontrolled diabetes can cause blurred vision, cataracts, glaucoma and retinopathy. Many people don't notice vision problems until retinopathy is well advanced. So routine eye testing is important.Diabetic retinopathy is a term used for all abnormalities of the small blood vessels of the retina caused by diabetes, such as weakening of blood vessel walls or leakage from the vessels. If you notice any change in your vision, speak with your doctor or eye specialist immediately. Let your doctor know that you have diabetes or hypertension so that they dilate your eyes to view the retina.
To avoid diabetes eye problems, follow these:-


1] Keep your blood sugar levels under tight control.
2] Bring your blood pressure under control. High blood pressure can make eye problems worse.
3]Quit smoking.
4]See your eye specialist at least once a year or more frequently if you have retinopathy, for a dilated eye exam.
5]Visit your eye specialist if you have the following diabetes eye symptoms:-
a]Your vision becomes blurry.gradual vision loss
b]You have trouble reading signs or books.
c]You see double.
d]One or both of your eyes hurt.
e]Your eyes get red and stay that way.
f]You feel pressure in your eye.
g]You see spots or floaters.
h]Straight lines do not look straight.
i]You can't see things at the side as you used to.
j]Difficulty seeing at nighttime
Visit your eye specialist if:-
1]You are between 10 and 29 years old and have had diabetes for at least 5 years, to have a annual dilated eye exam.
2]You are 30 or older, you should have an annual dilated eye exam, no matter how short a period you had diabetes. More frequent exams may be needed if you have eye disease.
3]You have any changes in your vision.
4]You are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, you should have a dilated eye exam.
Treatment: The following are very important for preventing diabetic retinopathy:
1] Tight control of blood sugar (glucose).
2] Tight comtrol of blood pressure, and cholesterol
3] Stopping smoking.
People with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy may not need treatment. However, they should be closely followed-up by an eye doctor.
Treatment usually does not reverse the damage that has already occurred, but it can help keep the disease from getting worse. Once its is noticed that new blood vessels are growing in your retina (neovascularization) or you develop macular edema, treatment is needed.
Treatment for diabetic retinopathy, involves several procedures or surgeries.
PHOTOCOAGULATION:
Here Laser eye surgery is done by which small burns are made in the retina where there are abnormal blood vessels. It is used to keep vessels from leaking or to get rid of abnormal, fragile vessels.
To treat macular edema Focal laser photocoagulation is used, whereas Scatter laser treatment or panretinal photocoagulation is used to treat a large area of your retina. Often two or more sessions are needed.
A surgical procedure called vitrectomy is used when there is bleeding (hemorrhage) into the eye. It may also be used to repair retinal detachment.
 
Raghu Natrajan.