November 14 is the 32nd World Diabetes Day, in order to make people aware of and prevent the importance of diabetes, and encourage people to improve their lifestyle to resist and manage diabetes, Professor Wang Haiyang, an expert at the Chinese Food Think Tank, a member of the Vascular Surgery Professional Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, vice chairman of the Vascular Surgery Committee of the Guangdong Medical Association, and director of the Department of Vascular Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, pointed out that people should understand the triggers of diabetes and control blood sugar within the normal range from the source. At the same time, eat a balanced diet and ensure adequate intake of vitamins, minerals and protein at every meal.
Predisposing factors for diabetic foot
One of the biggest “by-products” of diabetes is diabetic foot, which causes numbness, pain, and joint stiffness in mild cases; In severe cases, foot infection, ulceration, and necrosis. Data show that in a large group of diabetes, about 15%-25% of cases will evolve into diabetic foot.
Wang Haiyang explained that diabetic foot refers to the patient’s long-term high blood sugar leading to narrowing, occlusion, and blood flow obstruction of microvessels and large, medium and small blood vessels, and one of the complications caused, which damages the nerves, blood vessels and immune system, and then forms serious complications such as foot ulcers, infections, bone and joint destruction, among which the soles, heels, toes and other parts are very prone to infection and wounds, and the ulceration is becoming increasingly serious, and healing is extremely difficult.
At present, the overall prevalence of diabetes in our country is about 11%, and the ratio of men to women is close to 1:1. The rate of new diabetic foot ulcers within 1 year in diabetic patients was 8.1%, and the recurrence rate of healing patients within 1 year was 31.6%. In terms of age composition, diabetic patients are concentrated in the middle-aged and elderly group, mainly in the age group over 40 years old. Due to modern lifestyle changes and changes in eating habits, the incidence of diabetes among young people is on the rise.
The main triggers of diabetic foot are hyperglycemia, neuropathy, vascular lesions, and accompanying infections. People at high risk of diabetic foot include: poor long-term glycemic control, wearing inappropriate footwear, poor foot hygiene, signs of neuropathy or peripheral vascular disease, and other chronic complications of diabetes. If you can’t “step on the brakes” for the process of diabetes in time, it is very likely to bring consequences such as gangrene, ulcers, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy, ketoacidosis, etc., and even life-threatening.
Enhance your own health management awareness
So, how can people prevent the occurrence of diabetic foot in their daily lives? Can diabetic foot patients control the progression of the disease through self-management? Wang Haiyang gave the following suggestions.
The first is to control blood sugar levels. Stabilizing blood sugar is an important measure to prevent diabetic foot. Patients with diabetic foot must follow the medical plan formulated by the doctor, take medication regularly, inject insulin on time, and maintain blood sugar concentration within the normal range as much as possible.
The second is foot care. If there is an infection or ulcer, it is necessary to receive timely and effective diagnosis and treatment, including debridement in the hospital outpatient clinic, removal of dead skin tissue, application of antibiotics, and some may require surgery to repair. At the same time, to keep your feet clean and dry, you also need to wear appropriate foot protection products according to the specific condition of your feet to reduce the burden on your feet and prevent re-injury.
The third is moderate exercise. Moderate aerobic exercise can improve blood supply, enhance muscle strength, toughness and elasticity, and effectively prevent the occurrence of diabetic foot. At the same time, maintaining an appropriate weight can help reduce pressure on the feet and speed up blood circulation in the lower extremities.
Fourth, a balanced diet. A balanced diet is also very important to prevent diabetic foot. Pay attention to controlling total calories, moderate intake of protein, fat, fruits and vegetables, and fiber to avoid malnutrition caused by a single food; Strictly control the intake of carbohydrates, high sugar, salt, calories, fat and fried foods; The interval between meals should not be too short or too long, generally 5-6 hours, and the meal time can be more than 20 minutes, and chew slowly; The order of meals is vegetables, protein, thin soup, and finally carbohydrates to delay the absorption of glucose and avoid blood sugar spikes.
Wang Haiyang emphasized that although diabetic foot is very harmful, the harm of diabetic foot can be controlled to the minimum through scientific intervention and a healthy lifestyle, such as regular monitoring of blood sugar, precise medication, moderate exercise, weight control, adjustment of reasonable dietary structure, and improvement of one’s own health management participation awareness.