To think I have diabetic feet. Gross picture included.

[ParmaLily]

Literally panicking at my feet, to think this is diabetic foot!

Looks like trench foot to me. It can’t have happened overnight so plenty of time to get a GP appointment!

What a idiot. Hope A&E gave her a flea in her ear. Nothing that a good foot file, podiatrist, possible fungal tablets. And stopping the 8 cans of Diet Coke. Diabetes. ODFOD.

It looks like a build up of hard skin.

This does become painful to walk on as it cracks and sometimes the cracks can become inflamed.

A podiatrist can remove it all for you .

Also, although Diet Coke is sugar free, there is a lot of research which shows that artificial sweeteners can create changes in gut health, and change metabolism as well as appetite. These changes can cause metabolic syndrome disease, of which diabetes is one.

Why don't you see your GP and get your glucose levels checked? It's the only way to identify diabetes.

I hope you get sorted. This thread has prompted me to give up sugar and give myself a foot bath. (Nobody said to do that but that’s how I feel after reading.)

@ParmaLily I'm hoping you're a little more comfortable and less worried this morning

Also this @Bhu
Diabetic foot is one of the most significant and devastating complications of diabetes, and is defined as a foot affected by ulceration that is associated with neuropathy and/or peripheral arterial disease of the lower limb in a patient with diabetes

So there is such thing as a diabetic foot...

If you have cracks in the skin to your heels it can feel a bit like standing on a razor blade when you walk, especially if its a deep crack in a lot of hardened skin.

Looks lime you need to see a podiatrist regularly , that did not happen overnight nor necessarily diabetes related. Crocs provably do not help in warm weather.

It looks like they've been persistently wet for too long. If you're wearing Crocs and you're a bit sweaty them your feet are basically sitting in puddles

I have diabetes and have 6 weekly appointments with a podiatrist because my feet are minging - nothing to do with the diabetes!
I have excellent circulation and no neuropathy but still have yucky skin from sandals in summer. Totally appreciate that cracked skin is sore and can be a source of infection, but that is not a diabetic foot in the medical sense of the term.

@arrogantorwhat37 you need to read the whole sentence. They said “there’s no such thing as diabetic feet as a separate issue - i.e. in someone who doesn’t have diabetes”
Your quote describes diabetic feet as a complication of diabetes so it backs up what Bhu said - no such thing as diabetic foot in someone who doesn’t have diabetes. It’s not something you can just get without having diabetes.

Although, separate issue, it annoys me when people say “I don’t have diabetes so it can’t be xyz” - unless you’ve had an hBa1c check in the last week you don’t know whether you have Type 1 diabetes, which can start in anyone at any time. But you don’t get diabetic foot in the first week, do you.

Goodness!

How did you get on OP?

Hi @JellyBabiesSaveLives - Apols, I wasn't clear. I absolutely understand that a diabetic foot only comes with diabetes! And yes, you don't get diagnosed one day and a DF the next (altho and unhealing foot wound might indicate diabetes previously undiagnosed!)
I was just trying to point out to @Bhu that there is such a thing as a diabetic foot!

My SIL had feet like the OP and did not know she was diabetic. She was in pain walking. She's a workaholic so ignored it. Her fingers were swollen too. She ignored it again. She kept feeling dizzy, so finally went to the GP and was texted the next day to go to hospital because her blood sugar was so high and she was hyperglycaemic.

Another friend who was diagnosed had no obvious outstanding symptoms at all.

A lot of people are walking around with diabetes unknowingly. It is estimated that there are millions in the UK and hundreds of millions around the world who are undiagnosed and only find out or go to the doctor when they become very ill.

This thread has turned nasty.

Presumably this didn't happen overnight to your feet, so whatever happened to basic foot care?

Our feet work hard and factoring in foot care to personal hygiene regime, using foot file and foot cream, doesn't take long. A step further, a couple of visits to a podiatrist every 12 months and your feet would/should be in tip top condition.

Instead, your feet, likely due to neglect, are in such a state that you are visiting A&E. I find that shocking.

I have THE most amazing foot file from Amazon. It’s basically a cheese grater. God it’s been life changing
Pedicure Foot File-... www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B094CRT8GK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I effectively had this.

I had a severe toenail fungal infection which had some read to my skin and feet. It lasted to different degrees for about 15 years.

This is a severe fungal infection. Yes, there is very dry skin, but it is also inflected and this is what it looks like after soaking in bath etc. Purely blading it or pumicing won’t solve it as it’s more than just dry skin.

You need to see a dermatologist.

I was given terbinafine and later a different tablet for a different kind of nail infection (can’t remember the name) that was taken as a pulse. That meant a week in, then 3 weeks off, for 6 months. This cleared up the nail infection so the new nail growing through was feee of infection, and it sorted out the skin conditions. I also had some dermatitis in my ears and other parts of body too and all of them were sorted out.

Op, do you have fungal toenail as well as this skin condition? Any other skin condition elsewhere on body? Unfortunatley, this isn’t likely to A and E issue but something you need GP to refer you to dermatologist for and no doubt there’s a big long wait for that at moment.

Type 2 diabetes would give you recognisable symptoms For example when your blood sugar is high, you may pee more than usual, especially at night. And you may feel more tired, because your body can't get enough glucose in to your cells for energy. Other symptoms include losing weight without trying, genital itching or thrush, cuts and wounds taking longer to heal, blurred vision, feeling extremely thirsty.

It’s not so much about the sugar you consume, but about an unhealthy lifestyle - unhealthy foods, being overweight, lack of exercise or being sedentary, among other things - which results in your body losing the ability to regulate your blood sugar. You can also be genetically pre-disposed which increases your risk. Don’t know if you go for regular health checks with your GP but if you do, there would be a routine blood test - HBA1C - which would identify if you are pre diabetic, so you would have been alerted, given advice and monitored if this was the case. If you’re worried you may be diabetic, or pre diabetic then it’s probably a good idea to see your GP who can arrange for the test.

Diabetic foot is caused by consistently high blood sugar which can cause diabetic neuropathy - a reduction of sensation in extremities like hands and feet. High blood sugar over time damages the blood vessels and this can thin the skin on lower legs and feet, meaning that minor injuries can be difficult or impossible to heal and cause ulceration. Your photo doesn’t look like diabetic foot - and you say it’s painful, which diabetic foot generally isn’t, but it should definitely be checked out by your GP.

And artificial sweeteners are implicated in the onset of type 2 diabetes, so maybe that much Diet Coke isn’t a good idea even if you are not diabetic. My partner has had type 2 diabetes for about ten years and was advised to use artificial sweeteners in moderation. You can google which ones are safest, but moderation is the key. Also a no no for diabetics is salt substitute. Diabetes can affect internal organs like kidneys, but this entails learning to cut down or do without, as commercial replacements can cause complications.

I wear Crocs at home all the time. My feet are completely fine, and soft.

😂

@Crotonifolia i bought my first pair this week. They’re so comfy, now I’m worried too 😂

Hmm, this doesn’t look like diabetic foot. What it does look like is trench foot. Have your feet been wet (including sweat) for extended periods of time?

You need to stop that ASAP. Mum was told diet drinks can cause diabetes - she used to do the same now has type 2.

There is research to back up the fact that diet drink consumption does cause it.

Thank you! Do you think socks or no socks?

@TheHop Prayjng for your feet to remain trench foot free, too 🤞😅