Year round women wear fashionable high-heeled shoes. These 3-6 inch heels put women at risk for slips, falls, and injuries. These high heels are popular shoes they typically feature tall, spiked heels and narrow, pointed toes. Wearing high-heels makes you more unstable when walking or standing on dry surfaces. A stylish low-heeled summer shoe is a lot more fashionable than a cast and crutches. It is recommended that women scuff-up the soles of any new shoes or boots, or purchase adhesive rubber soles, to provide greater traction.
Falls from high-heeled shoes can lead to a number of injuries, depending on how the woman loses her balance. If her ankle rolls inward or outward, she can break her ankle. If her ankle twists, ligaments can be stretched or torn, causing ankle sprain.
Women injured from slips and falls in high-heeled shoes or boots should contact Central Kansas Podiatry Associates for prompt evaluation and treatment. In the meantime, immediately use the “R.I.C.E.” method – rest, ice, compression and elevation – to help reduce swelling, pain and further injury.
Delaying treatment can result in long-term complications such as chronic ankle instability and pain, arthritis, or deformity. Even if one is able to walk on the injured foot, pain, swelling, or bruising indicates a serious injury.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Diabetic Foot Care Important
Why is Diabetic Foot Care Important?
Many people know somebody who is diabetic who has had a toe, or even a foot or leg amputated. This is the worst-case assumption and points at the critical importance of foot care for a diabetic. Foot care is a specially important part of care for people with diabetes. But proper diabetic foot care and attention can keep most serious foot diseases.
Daily Foot Care Guide for Diabetic
1. Clean your feet every day using mild soap and warm water. Assure the water temperature with your hand or elbow before putting your feet in the water.
2. Dry your feet well. Make sure to dry between toes.
3. Look at your feet. Check for any breaks, dry skin, cuts, redness, swelling, and change in temperature.
4. Apply lotion to dry or cracked skin and to soles of feet. Do not put lotion between toes.
5. Call Central Kansas Podiatry Associates right away if you have any sign of infection such as swelling, redness, drainage, fever, or chills.
Many people know somebody who is diabetic who has had a toe, or even a foot or leg amputated. This is the worst-case assumption and points at the critical importance of foot care for a diabetic. Foot care is a specially important part of care for people with diabetes. But proper diabetic foot care and attention can keep most serious foot diseases.
Daily Foot Care Guide for Diabetic
1. Clean your feet every day using mild soap and warm water. Assure the water temperature with your hand or elbow before putting your feet in the water.
2. Dry your feet well. Make sure to dry between toes.
3. Look at your feet. Check for any breaks, dry skin, cuts, redness, swelling, and change in temperature.
4. Apply lotion to dry or cracked skin and to soles of feet. Do not put lotion between toes.
5. Call Central Kansas Podiatry Associates right away if you have any sign of infection such as swelling, redness, drainage, fever, or chills.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
You Can Help Children Avoid Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is affecting kids in a big way, but diet and exercise can help children avoid or reverse this condition.
Once upon a time, type 2 diabetes was called “adult-onset diabetes.” If children had diabetes, 99 times out of 100 it was type 1 diabetes; type 2 diabetes didn’t appear until midlife. Now, studies suggest that up to 45 percent of childhood diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes: Why the Increase?
“No one is certain why, but most experts believe that it is related in part to the obesity epidemic,” explains Frank Diamond, MD, clinical director for the University of South Florida Diabetes Center and professor of pediatrics at the University of South Florida in Tampa. “We now have approximately 17 percent of the pediatric population that is overweight. Genetically at-risk children may be acquiring the disease earlier because of the increased insulin resistance associated with their early obesity. We are seeing many children with adult weights in our pediatric clinics today.”
Dr. Diamond also notes that the increase may be due to a rise in the proportion of children with ethnic minority heritage that puts them at increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
Basically, says Paul Robertson, MD, president of medicine and science at the American Diabetes Association, and professor of medicine and pharmacology at the University of Washington in Seattle, the causes of childhood type 2 diabetes boil down to genetic risk mixed with physical inactivity and poor eating habits.
“We know if the diets are corrected and they lose the weight, the diabetes becomes undetectable,” says Dr. Robertson.
There's more content below this advertisement. Jump to the content.
Type 2 Diabetes: What Parents Can Do
The first step to preventing type 2 diabetes in childhood is to face the fact that it can happen to children, says Diamond. Then be on guard for symptoms and ask for diabetes screening.
“Symptoms include tiring easily, thirst, and increased urination. A darkening of the skin (acanthosis nigricans) on the back of the neck, under the arms, and in the groin area is associated with obesity and [is] a common finding with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes children,” he says.
Also, bear in mind that if you had gestational diabetes during your pregnancy, your children are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
“Especially in families with a positive family history of type 2 diabetes, avoidance of excessive weight gain and encouragement of an active lifestyle are extremely important and the best tools to avoid the development of type 2 diabetes,” says Diamond. Some children may be candidates for a drug called metformin.
Type 2 Diabetes: Testing
Parents who are concerned that their child might have diabetes should ask for a fasting glucose screening test. That test determines how much sugar is in the blood before a person has eaten.
“A value over 99 mg/dL is abnormal and suggests ‘impending’ diabetes or glucose intolerance. A value equal to or greater than 126 mg/dL is diagnostic of diabetes,” says Diamond.
Any results above the normal range should be red flags for you and your family to:
* Eat a healthy diet rich in whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, and veggies. You can get help changing your family’s diet from a dietitian, if necessary.
* Get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.
* Help your child lose at least 5 percent of his body weight if he is overweight.
Remember, childhood type 2 diabetes is within your family’s control.
“Lose weight, be active, eat the right foods,” says Robertson. “Lifestyle modifications can do a great deal in terms of staving off type 2 diabetes.”
Last Updated: 04/16/2009
This section created and produced exclusively by the editorial staff of EverydayHealth.com. © 2010 EverydayHealth.com; all rights reserved.
Once upon a time, type 2 diabetes was called “adult-onset diabetes.” If children had diabetes, 99 times out of 100 it was type 1 diabetes; type 2 diabetes didn’t appear until midlife. Now, studies suggest that up to 45 percent of childhood diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes: Why the Increase?
“No one is certain why, but most experts believe that it is related in part to the obesity epidemic,” explains Frank Diamond, MD, clinical director for the University of South Florida Diabetes Center and professor of pediatrics at the University of South Florida in Tampa. “We now have approximately 17 percent of the pediatric population that is overweight. Genetically at-risk children may be acquiring the disease earlier because of the increased insulin resistance associated with their early obesity. We are seeing many children with adult weights in our pediatric clinics today.”
Dr. Diamond also notes that the increase may be due to a rise in the proportion of children with ethnic minority heritage that puts them at increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
Basically, says Paul Robertson, MD, president of medicine and science at the American Diabetes Association, and professor of medicine and pharmacology at the University of Washington in Seattle, the causes of childhood type 2 diabetes boil down to genetic risk mixed with physical inactivity and poor eating habits.
“We know if the diets are corrected and they lose the weight, the diabetes becomes undetectable,” says Dr. Robertson.
There's more content below this advertisement. Jump to the content.
Type 2 Diabetes: What Parents Can Do
The first step to preventing type 2 diabetes in childhood is to face the fact that it can happen to children, says Diamond. Then be on guard for symptoms and ask for diabetes screening.
“Symptoms include tiring easily, thirst, and increased urination. A darkening of the skin (acanthosis nigricans) on the back of the neck, under the arms, and in the groin area is associated with obesity and [is] a common finding with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes children,” he says.
Also, bear in mind that if you had gestational diabetes during your pregnancy, your children are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
“Especially in families with a positive family history of type 2 diabetes, avoidance of excessive weight gain and encouragement of an active lifestyle are extremely important and the best tools to avoid the development of type 2 diabetes,” says Diamond. Some children may be candidates for a drug called metformin.
Type 2 Diabetes: Testing
Parents who are concerned that their child might have diabetes should ask for a fasting glucose screening test. That test determines how much sugar is in the blood before a person has eaten.
“A value over 99 mg/dL is abnormal and suggests ‘impending’ diabetes or glucose intolerance. A value equal to or greater than 126 mg/dL is diagnostic of diabetes,” says Diamond.
Any results above the normal range should be red flags for you and your family to:
* Eat a healthy diet rich in whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, and veggies. You can get help changing your family’s diet from a dietitian, if necessary.
* Get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.
* Help your child lose at least 5 percent of his body weight if he is overweight.
Remember, childhood type 2 diabetes is within your family’s control.
“Lose weight, be active, eat the right foods,” says Robertson. “Lifestyle modifications can do a great deal in terms of staving off type 2 diabetes.”
Last Updated: 04/16/2009
This section created and produced exclusively by the editorial staff of EverydayHealth.com. © 2010 EverydayHealth.com; all rights reserved.
A Major Cause of Amputation in Diabetics
A major cause for leg amputation in diabetics is an infection in the foot or ankle. Because many diabetics do not recognize the signs of a foot or ankle infection, the condition often goes untreated and can rapidly lead to amputation.
Early signs of an infection to the foot or ankle include any area that is red, hot, & swollen. A diabetic may also notice an unexplained elevation of their blood sugar. As the infection progresses, the person may experience nausea, vomiting, fever & chills.
Infection in diabetics needs to be treated early and aggressively. Diabetes can decrease the body’s ability to fight infection. When this happens, a simple foot infection can lead to leg amputation in a matter of days.
Open wounds, blisters, athlete’s foot, and cracks in the skin can leave a diabetic susceptible to a foot or ankle infection. If you are diabetic and you notice any area of your foot or ankle that is red, hot & swollen, or you have an open wound or a blister, call your foot and ankle specialist immediately! Remember, aggressive & early treatment of infection in diabetics can greatly reduce the need for amputation.
Early signs of an infection to the foot or ankle include any area that is red, hot, & swollen. A diabetic may also notice an unexplained elevation of their blood sugar. As the infection progresses, the person may experience nausea, vomiting, fever & chills.
Infection in diabetics needs to be treated early and aggressively. Diabetes can decrease the body’s ability to fight infection. When this happens, a simple foot infection can lead to leg amputation in a matter of days.
Open wounds, blisters, athlete’s foot, and cracks in the skin can leave a diabetic susceptible to a foot or ankle infection. If you are diabetic and you notice any area of your foot or ankle that is red, hot & swollen, or you have an open wound or a blister, call your foot and ankle specialist immediately! Remember, aggressive & early treatment of infection in diabetics can greatly reduce the need for amputation.
Foot Doctors Can Help Diabetics Avoid Amputation
Podiatrists detect conditions that might lead to limb loss, experts say.
FRIDAY, Aug. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Being treated by a podiatrist helps diabetes patients reduce their risk of amputation, research shows.
Podiatrists, also called podiatric physicians, are medical specialists of the foot, ankle and lower leg.
"More than half of all amputations in the U.S. are related to diabetes. Podiatrists are detecting conditions that can lead to amputation. That's just what we do," study co-author Dr. James Wrobel, an associate professor of medicine at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago, said in a university news release.
The study of nearly 29,000 diabetes patients, aged 18 to 64, found that those who had had at least one visit with a podiatrist prior to receiving a foot ulcer diagnosis had a lower risk of amputation and hospitalization (nearly 15 percent and 17 percent, respectively).
The study findings were presented in July at a meeting of the American Podiatric Medical Association in Seattle.
Complications related to diabetes are the leading cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputation in the United States and cost an estimated $3 billion a year, according to the Amputee Coalition of America. An estimated 24 million Americans have diabetes and 86,000 undergo amputations each year, based on information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
FRIDAY, Aug. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Being treated by a podiatrist helps diabetes patients reduce their risk of amputation, research shows.
Podiatrists, also called podiatric physicians, are medical specialists of the foot, ankle and lower leg.
"More than half of all amputations in the U.S. are related to diabetes. Podiatrists are detecting conditions that can lead to amputation. That's just what we do," study co-author Dr. James Wrobel, an associate professor of medicine at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago, said in a university news release.
The study of nearly 29,000 diabetes patients, aged 18 to 64, found that those who had had at least one visit with a podiatrist prior to receiving a foot ulcer diagnosis had a lower risk of amputation and hospitalization (nearly 15 percent and 17 percent, respectively).
The study findings were presented in July at a meeting of the American Podiatric Medical Association in Seattle.
Complications related to diabetes are the leading cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputation in the United States and cost an estimated $3 billion a year, according to the Amputee Coalition of America. An estimated 24 million Americans have diabetes and 86,000 undergo amputations each year, based on information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Diabetes Patients NEED More Prevention Services
It has been found that there is a distinct lack of appropriate prevention programmes for foot ulcers and amputations for patients that are suffering from type 2 diabetes, and it has been recommended that improved prevention services could significantly improve the high rate of amputation for diabetes patients.
Researchers have used information taken from electronic medical records to identify 150 patients on dialysis and 150 patients with a previous foot ulceration or amputation from 2000 to 2006. Factors such as patient education, podiatry care and the use of therapeutic shoes and insoles were monitored over a 30-month period. Despite 92.3 per cent of the overall population of the study having type 2 diabetes, only two patients in the dialysis group and none in the ulcer group were reported to be offered formal diabetes education.
In the study, 65 per cent of patients were seen by a podiatrist, of whom 70 per cent received care after developing a foot ulcer. This is compared with 42 per cent of patients in the dialysis group, and only 18 per cent of patients in the ulcer group received preventive care from a podiatrist.
It was noted that "Prevention services for the diabetic foot are simple to establish and can be made easily accessible through organized multidisciplinary care. These data provide further evidence that preventative foot care is not regularly provided, even among patients with the highest risk for lower limb complications. It also highlights an opportunity to improve prevention services for the diabetic foot with simple protocols for evaluation and referral."
Researchers have used information taken from electronic medical records to identify 150 patients on dialysis and 150 patients with a previous foot ulceration or amputation from 2000 to 2006. Factors such as patient education, podiatry care and the use of therapeutic shoes and insoles were monitored over a 30-month period. Despite 92.3 per cent of the overall population of the study having type 2 diabetes, only two patients in the dialysis group and none in the ulcer group were reported to be offered formal diabetes education.
In the study, 65 per cent of patients were seen by a podiatrist, of whom 70 per cent received care after developing a foot ulcer. This is compared with 42 per cent of patients in the dialysis group, and only 18 per cent of patients in the ulcer group received preventive care from a podiatrist.
It was noted that "Prevention services for the diabetic foot are simple to establish and can be made easily accessible through organized multidisciplinary care. These data provide further evidence that preventative foot care is not regularly provided, even among patients with the highest risk for lower limb complications. It also highlights an opportunity to improve prevention services for the diabetic foot with simple protocols for evaluation and referral."
Diabetes Diagnosis for MI Man: Dog Ate Toe
Most pet owners would be irate if their dog bit off one of their toes, but Jerry Douthett, of Rockford, MI is nothing but grateful: this canine feat may have saved his life. Douthett was alerted to the seriousness of a bone infection in his foot, resulting from previously undiagnosed Type II diabetes, when his terrier Kiko bit off his big toe while he was passed out drunk, according to The Grand Rapids Press
"Jerry had had all these Margaritas, so I just let him sleep," his wife, Rosee, a registered nurse told the Michigan paper. "But then I heard these screams coming from the bedroom, and he was yelling, 'My toe's gone, my toe's gone!'" He suspected for months something was wrong with his foot, but the 48-year-old musician had only recently scheduled an appointment to see a doctor. Douthett was rushed to the hospital by Rosie where doctors amputated the rest of his toe and diagnosed him with Type II diabetes.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/08/dog_eats_rockford_mans_big_toe.html
"Jerry had had all these Margaritas, so I just let him sleep," his wife, Rosee, a registered nurse told the Michigan paper. "But then I heard these screams coming from the bedroom, and he was yelling, 'My toe's gone, my toe's gone!'" He suspected for months something was wrong with his foot, but the 48-year-old musician had only recently scheduled an appointment to see a doctor. Douthett was rushed to the hospital by Rosie where doctors amputated the rest of his toe and diagnosed him with Type II diabetes.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/08/dog_eats_rockford_mans_big_toe.html
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