PINS AND NEEDLES
I’m a doctor and here’s when tingling feet mean you should go to hospital
WE all have aches and pains from time to time, and in most cases they are usually nothing to worry about.
But one doctor has revealed that if you suffer a selection of symptoms in your feet and you're diabetic, then you must go to hospital.
1
People with diabetes have to take extra care of their feet because they may have diabetic neuropathy.
This is when high blood sugar levels over time damage nerves throughout the body.
Peripheral neuropathy is an illness which refers to nerve damage that usually affects the feet and legs.
Those who experience this will often have pins and needles, numbness and pain in the feet.
Read more on diabetes
The danger is that when someone loses sensation in their feet, they are not as likely to notice a wound.
People with diabetes are told to keep an eye out for cuts, sore, or red spots, swelling or fluid-filled blisters and ingrown toenails, as all of these could lead to an infection, sepsis or amputation.
Dr Mushtaqur Rahman, consultant endocrinologist and diabetologist, said this can be referred to as a 'foot attack'.
He explained: "It's is a term we have tried to use to highlight the importance of early intervention in foot disease.
Most read in Health
"Often what happens is that patients come into hospital with a red swollen foot with an ulcer which is infected and that infection can spread very rapidly.
"Make a patient extremely unwell and they can get something called sepsis which is a major cause of death if it's not acted upon quickly.
"Also the loss of a foot or limb, which we want to avoid."
In the video, posted on he stated that many people don't initially recognise that their symptoms could be deadly.
The medic said that that without knowing you're having a foot attack, you risk not getting the correct care, such as immediate antibiotics and removal of infected or dead tissue.
"If, for example, you have diabetic foot disease, you have neuropathy, you have diabetes, numb feet, you notice there is an ulcer, and you notice that your foot is swollen or red, or the foot it changing colour, especially becoming darker, which means that they might have gangrene or you’re feeling very unwell, shivery - you must go hospital straight away.
"You must ask a health professional to make sure that you are seen by a diabetic foot team- which every hospital should have," he said.
Once referred to this team, Dr Rahman said they should then make sure you get an x-ray and that you’re started on antibiotics quickly.
He added that they will also make sure that your diabetes and your blood glucose is brought under control and if you need help keeping your blood pressure up.
It's important that all of these things are acted upon quickly and that you're seen by a surgeon at an early stage so that they can make decisions before things get worse, he said.
"That may mean that you end up having major surgery, but that’s usually done to protect you from getting worse health effects," he added.
What should my blood sugar be?
Diabetics are urged to monitor their sugar levels and if you're diabetic it's likely you will have been given a device so you can do this at home.
You will be told what your average blood sugar level is and this is referred to as your HbA1c level.
While they differ for everyone, the NHS says that if you monitor your levels at home then a normal target is 4 to 7mmol/l before eating and under 8.5 to 9mmol/l 2 hours after a meal.
If it's tested every few months then a normal HbA1c target is below 48mmol/mol (or 6.5% on the older measurement scale).
Diabetic neuropathy can be prevented by managing your condition by exercising regularly, quitting smoking and following a healthy diet.
With type 1 diabetes, a person’s pancreas produces no insulin, but in type 2, cells in the body become resistant to insulin, so a greater amount of insulin is needed to keep blood glucose levels within a normal range.
But if you don't keep your blood sugar in check - this could be dangerous and could lead to sensory issues.
Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that can occur if you have diabetes.
Experts at the say that high blood sugar levels can injure nerves throughout your body.
It's important to not confuse high blood sugar with hypoglycaemia, which is when a person's blood sugar level drops too low, the NHS states.
The condition can impact both people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes as well as pregnant women with gestational diabetes.
It can sometimes affect people who don't have diabetes, but this will usually be in people who have recently had a heart attack or stroke.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More on The Sun
There are many symptoms of high blood sugar and one of the most prominent is an increased thirst and dry mouth.
Other symptoms include tiredness, blurred vision, unintentional weight loss, tummy pain or feeling or being sick.
Warning signs in the feet
Diabetes UK warns to go to the doctor if you notice any of the following 14 symptoms in the feet:
- Tingling sensation or pins and needles (like numbness)
- Pain (burning)
- A dull ache
- Shiny, smooth skin on your feet
- Hair loss on your legs and feet
- Loss of feeling in your feet or legs
- Swollen feet
- Your feet don't sweat
- Wounds or sores that don’t heal
- Cramp in your calves when resting or walking.
Topics