Comprehensive diabetic foot screening and foot care Foot problems are a critical cause of morbidity in patients with diabetes. Research shows the lifetime chance of a foot ulcer for patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes is very high. A possibly preventable starting event, most regularly minor injury that causes cutaneous damage, can frequently be identified. These perceptions outline the significance of frequent assessment of the feet in patients with diabetes to recognize those at risk for foot ulceration. According to studies, efficient screening examinations for neuropathic and vascular involvement of the lower limits and cautious review of feet may considerably diminish morbidity from foot problems. Risk Factors Screening of foot in diabetes is a fundamental portion of the examination carried out by the Podiatry Division. The point of this examination is to decide any risk factors as early as possible. The risk of ulcers or amputations is increased in individuals who have the following risk factors: Previous amputation Previous incident of foot ulcer Peripheral neuropathy Foot deformities Poor glycemic control Cigarette smoking Diabetic kidney disease (especially patients on dialysis) Visual impairment Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) Pre-ulcerative callus or corn   How does diabetic foot screening work? A diabetic foot exam thoroughly examines the foot health issues in diabetic patients. The issues incorporate infection, injury, and bone abnormalities. Nerve damage and poor blood circulation are the most common causes of diabetic foot issues. It is strongly recommended that individuals with diabetes must do a foot exam at least once a year. You’ll require an exam more regularly in the event that your feet have any of the indications like Tingling, Numbness, Pain, Burning sensation, Swelling, and walking difficulty. A diabetic foot exam is usually being done by a podiatrist. A foot doctor who specializes in keeping feet healthy and treating diseases of the feet is known as a podiatrist. The exam usually includes a few step-by-step assessments. General assessment: Try to know your health history and any problems you’ve had with your feet in the past. Ask questions about your footwear as shoes that don’t fit well or uncomfortable can lead to foot health problems. Dermatological assessment: This is mainly to check for various skin problems such as dry skin, cracking, calluses, blisters, and ulcers. Examines cracked toenail or fungal infection and a thorough fungal infection check will be done between the toes. Neurological assessments:  Consist of four other tests such as Monofilament test, Tuning fork and visual perception test (VPT), Pinprick test, and Ankle reflexes test. Monofilament test will check the touch sensitivity of your foot whereas VPT uses a tuning fork against your foot to see if you can feel the vibration. Pinprick test uses a small pin to poke the bottom of your foot to see if you can feel it. During Ankle reflexes test, your reflexes will be tested by tapping your foot with a small reflex hammer. Musculoskeletal assessment: Examines the shape and structure of your foot and it helps in identifying any abnormalities. Vascular assessment: It aims to check the proper blood circulation. Doppler ultrasound imaging technology is used to test the blood flow if you have symptoms of poor circulation. Is there anything more to know? You don’t require any exclusive preparations for a diabetic foot screening. It is always risk-free to have a diabetic foot exam. If a problem is found, the podiatrist will likely recommend more frequent testing. Other treatments may include antibiotics for foot infections and surgery to help with bone deformities. Though there is no treatment for foot nerve damage, there are treatments that can relieve pain and improve function like skincare creams and physiotherapy. Diabetic patients are always prone to a serious risk of foot health. However, you can keep your feet healthy to some extend with caring. Always take care of your diabetes and try to keep your blood sugar normal level. It is strongly recommended to do a foot exam at least once a year and increase the frequency of screening if you or your doctor finds a problem. Observe your feet every day to check for any new issues like wounds, sores, ulcers, toenail cracks, and other changes in your feet. This is always helpful to find and address problems early. Keep your feet neat and clean and wearing shoes and socks at all times is advisable. Do not use shoes that are uncomfortable and unfit. Trim your toenails regularly and gently smooth nail edges. Keep your feet away from excess heat and cold. Aware of good blood circulation and let the blood flowing to your feet. You can choose to put your feet up when sitting. Say a big NO to cigarette smoking as it reduces blood flow to the feet and causes slow healing of wounds. All patients with diabetes and particularly those with high-risk foot conditions and their families should be provided general education about risk factors and appropriate management. Always remember: Inspect and wash your feet daily Carefully trim nails Wear properly fitting shoes and don’t go barefoot Manage diabetics by having good diet, right exercising, monitoring blood sugar and regularly taking your medications. If you do notice any sores on your feet, see your health care provider as soon as possible. WE HELP YOU STAND ON YOUR FEET Health & Style Medical Centre, the first private podiatry practice in Abu Dhabi, aspire to provide the most up to date knowledge and understanding of the lower limb whilst delivering world class service to our patients with the aid of state of the art Podiatry equipment. HSMC will do most effective and advanced diabetic foot screening. 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What is Gout? Gout is one kind on inflammatory arthritis which is caused by a buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints which is caused by too much uric acid in the blood. It causes a sudden burning sensation with pain, stiffness and swelling in a joint. These attacks may keep reoccurring until and unless it is treated. Causes of Gout As mentioned above, Gout is mainly caused because of excessive uric acid in the blood. Uric acid comes from purines, a chemical compound found mainly in high protein foods, such as meat, poultry and seafood. Uric acid generally is dissolved in blood and is excreted from the body in urine via the kidneys. But if too much uric acid is produced and blood is not able to dissolve it or if not enough uric acid is excreted from the body, it can build up needle like crystals which sometimes is found in joints. There are few factors which increase the probability of Gout, these are, Age and Gender: Since men produce more uric acid than women, it is more likely to be seen in men. However after menopause women also might reach the same level of uric acid. Genetics: A family which has a history of Gout is more likely to reappear in future generation. Food and Beverage choice: Too much alcohol consumption disrupts the excretion of uric acid from the body. Also consumption of food which have more purine might also increase the amount of uric acid in the body. Lead Exposure: Chronic lead exposure might also be linked to Gout sometimes. Medication: There are few medicines which increases the level of uric acid in the body. Therefore consult with your doctor before taking any medicine. Weight: More the weight, more is the production of uric acid in the body and thus more is the probability of having a Gout. Kidney problems: Sometimes because of some kidney problems there can be a disruption in the excretion of uric acid. Treatment of Gout As they always say, prevention is better than cure, here we will first discuss about preventive measures and then talk about Treatment. Prevention of Gout: Water consumption: Maintain a high fluid intake and consume at least 2-4 liters of water every day. Food and beverage: Don’t consume too much alcohol regularly. Also consume meat, poultry and seafood only to a certain extent. Here’s a list of food which contain high purine.  Anchovies  Asparagus  Beef kidneys  Brains  Dried beans and peas  Game meats  Gravy  Herring  Liver  Mackerel  Mushrooms  Sardines  Scallops  Sweetbreads. Weight: Maintain a healthy body weight and automatically that will control your uric acid production in the body. Gout Pain Relief Treatment: In case if you are already attacked by Gout, there’s no other way but to go through proper treatment. Most common medicines are NSAIDs, colchicine or corticosteroids. These medicines are taken to reduce inflammation and reduce pain. These medicines are taken orally. To prevent future attack, your doctor might also prescribe some medicines which will reduce uric acid build up in your blood. Read More: Heel Pain Causes & Treatments Neuroma: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment Heel Spur Feet – Causes and Treatment

What is Neuroma? A neuroma is mostly benign i.e non-cancerous in nature. A neuroma is an overgrowth of tumor or nerve tissue, however it is often painful and occurs mostly between third and the fourth toes. Neuroma is more painful while walking and the only way to stop the pain at that moment is to stop walking at that time. This means that a neuroma can be major hindrance while walking. The pain felt is often described by patients as having a stone in between their feet. The pain is accompanied by a burning sensation or mere numbness in the area. Causes of Neuroma: Neuromas are commonly found in women. The exact cause for this condition is unknown. Yet the major factors contributing to the formation of a neuroma can be: Pressure, stress or trauma can lead to inflammation of a nerve tissue. Improper shoes like pointed toe shoes and high heels can increase the pressure at the forefoot area. Pointed shoes can squeeze the toes in a problematic fashion. Natural deformities like flat foot or high arched foot again can lead to the formation of a neuroma. How to Treat Neuroma: The best way to never develop a neuroma is to wear proper shoes. It is always a good idea to wear roomy shoes. Avoid high heels. Actually shoes that are flat should be a choice for you to avoid not only the growth of neuromas but it can actually keep many other hoot problems at bay. It’s best to see your podiatrist immediately, if you are already affected with a neuroma. Neuromas can cause excruciating pain if left untreated. Wearing orthotic insoles and over the counter shoe pads always prove helpful. To relieve the pain immediately try massaging the area gently and put an ice pack. Never ever use a heating pad, this might alleviate the swelling. The severity of the neuroma determines the mode of treatment. If detected early, then there is low chance that surgery will be done. But if has turned into a full-fledged tumor then surgical removal of it is the only way out. When detected early chances are that the problem will get resolved on its own provided pressure is relieved from the affected area. Anti-inflammatory drugs and cortisone injections are prescribed to relieve the acute pain. Surgery entails removal of inflamed and enlarged nerve. It may take a few weeks to completely recover post the operation. If these neuroma foot solution can’t help you, talk to our podiatric surgeon. We can assure the best treatment for you in UAE!

What is Heel Spur? If you have read our last article about plantar fasciitis, you would know this is one of the most common foot pain people face in their life. Many people who have plantar fasciitis have also encountered with heel spur. Heel spur is again one of most commonly found problems found in foot and it affects as good as 10% of the population. Though all of them do not feel the pain and only half of them face the pain due to heel spur. Though this syndrome is more common among people who are older than 40 years but can be found at any age. Heel spur is the bony outgrow of the heel bone, better known as Calcaneus. Because of this people feel pain at certain areas of their feet. Let’s discuss about different causes of heel spurs. Causes of Heel Spurs The root is deposit of calcium on the underside of heel bone. There are multiple reason behind this deposit, which are, Strain on foot muscles or ligaments Stretching of plantar fascia Repeated tearing of the membrane covering heel bone There are few actions which might increase the possibility of heel spur, for example, If you are overweight If you are running or jogging on hard surface If you are standing or walking for a long time Bad shoes which do not provide good support to your arch If you have flat feet or high arch and you are not taking proper actions to resolve them If you are suffering from diabetes Age. The reason heel spur is more common among older people is, as you age, your plantar fascia tend to lose its flexibility which thins the heels’ protective fat pad. Natural Treatment of Heel Spur: Non-surgical Treatment: If you have read our Plantar Fasciitis article, you are almost there. All measures mentioned in that article is almost same here. Rest & exercise: take proper rest. Don’t put too much pressure on the feet. But though you can definitely do some exercise which will benefit you. Exercises like calf stretch or plantar fascia stretch will also help when it comes to heel spur. Ice: Do apply ice on your feet 3-4 times a day. Keep rolling the ice on the feet rather than keeping it at one place. Orthotic shoe insert: You can also insert an orthotic shoe insert in your shoes, this will give you some relief. Even after continuing these your pain is not reduced (which is very unlikely), then only go for surgery. Do consult with your doctor or with us before that. Surgical Treatment of Heel Spur: 90% people get cure by non-surgical treatment but if you still feel the pain, you need to go through surgery. Do contact us for any such situation. The surgery for heel spurs are mainly of two types, Release of Plantar fascia Release of the spur Though this might be a little expensive but will give you quick relief.