Add a Podiatrist to Your Diabetes Management Team
Diabetes can really wreak havoc with your health. From heart disease to eye problems, kidney disease and serious foot problems, individuals with diabetes must stay on top of their overall health.
But you can’t go it alone. It takes a team of experts and professionals to help those with diabetes manage this disease and stay healthy. Your team should include your primary care physician and other professionals, each with their own specialty. Your team will lead you with appropriate treatments and counseling to control this disease and minimize complications.
Welcome to Your Diabetes Management Team!
You need the right professionals with the right expertise:
- Primary care physician to coordinate your care and any necessary referrals.
- Vascular surgeon will deal with neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease.
- Endocrinologist to control the diabetes.
- Ophthalmologist monitors eye health because of impaired blood flow to the eyes.
- Dentist for regular exams and cleanings to prevent gum disease.
- Pharmacist to track medications and counsel you on side effects and any conflicts with over-the-counter drugs.
But this list is not complete without a podiatrist! Because of the potentially severe effects on your feet, a foot doctor is an essential part of your team.
Podiatrists are educated and trained to treat all foot and ankle problems, and this includes complications brought about by diabetes. Neuropathy, or nerve damage, can make your feet numb and susceptible to damage that you can’t feel. Also, restricted blood flow caused by excess blood sugar can mean that any damage to your feet will be slow to heal.
Together, these two problems mean that even a small injury on the bottom of your foot can escalate into an ulcer that requires surgery or even amputation.
Keeping in touch with your foot doctor also means that you should have a comprehensive foot exam at least twice a year.
We Can Help with All Aspects of Diabetic Foot Care
For any type of foot or ankle pain, call us. Foot pain is not normal! If you have pain from bunions or any other foot or ankle condition or have suffered any type of foot injury, please call Dr. Christopher M. Funk, Dr. Bradley A. Whitaker, or Dr. Peter C. Merrill at Desert Podiatric Medical Specialists. Our professional staff offers expert podiatry services at three Pima County offices: Tucson, Oro Valley and Green Valley. Please call us today at (520) 575-0800 to schedule your appointment.
