Diabetic Neuropathy and Peripheral Vascular Disease
Failure to manage diabetes can cause nerve damage in different parts of the body. When the nerves in your legs and feet are damaged, you may not feel heat, cold, or pain there. This lack of feeling is called “sensory diabetic neuropathy.” If you do not feel a cut or sore on your foot because of neuropathy, the cut could get worse and become infected. The muscles of your foot may not work properly because nerves to the muscles are damaged. You will discover that your foot is not properly aligned and there’s more pressure on one part of it.
Peripheral vascular disease is when there’s poor blood flow in the arms and legs. Diabetes can affect the flow of blood in the body. Without good blood flow, it takes longer for a sore or cut to heal. If you have an infection that will not heal because of poor blood flow, you are at risk for developing ulcers or gangrene (the death of tissue due to a lack of blood).