Diabetic foot syndrome

Diabetic foot syndrome (DFS) covers all changes to the foot that can result from diabetes mellitus. The main causes are nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy) and circulatory disorders (angiopathy, PAD).

Why is it so dangerous?

Anyone who feels their feet less well often fails to notice pressure points, blisters or small injuries. With poor circulation these also heal slowly. A harmless pressure point can thus turn into an ulcer – in the worst case amputation is a threat. The good news: most of these complications can be avoided through prevention.

Prevention

• look at your feet every day – including the soles (a mirror helps)
• never walk barefoot, no hot-water bottle on the feet
• well-fitting, pressure-free shoes
• regular medical foot examinations, e.g. with a monofilament and tuning fork
• regular podiatric treatment

Podiatry on prescription

With diabetic foot syndrome, a doctor can prescribe podiatry as a remedy (diagnosis group DF). We remove calluses, treat the nails professionally and identify risk areas at an early stage. More in our guide Diabetic foot.