Yes. Anyone with diabetes should schedule diabetic foot care at The Frazier Foot and Ankle Center at least once annually.

Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases that affect the body's ability to regulate and use blood sugar. Blood sugar provides energy for all your cells. But if your body doesn't regulate it properly, sugar can build up in your bloodstream. That increases the risk of more serious issues, like slow-healing wounds (diabetic ulcers), nerve damage (neuropathy), and poor circulation.

Regular visits to the podiatrist can help keep your blood sugar at healthy levels and reduce the risk of common foot-related conditions.

The Frazier Foot and Ankle Center uses diabetic foot care to treat various foot and ankle issues caused by untreated diabetes, including:

Diabetic foot wounds Diabetic foot wounds form when you cut or injure the skin on your feet. Since diabetes affects blood flow, it takes longer for nutrient-rich blood to reach your lower extremities, slowing your body's healing process.

Neuropathy Elevated blood sugar causes permanent nerve damage (neuropathy). You might injure yourself and not know it if the nerves in your feet don't function normally. These injuries can become infected, increasing your risk of gangrene.

Healthy lifestyle changes and regular podiatry checkups reduce your risk of these and other issues.

Everyone with diabetes should undergo diabetic foot care once a year. But you might benefit from more frequent checkups if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Skin discoloration
• Hair loss
• Numbness
• Pain
• Tingling
• Cuts, blisters, or calluses
• Slow-healing wounds or sores

Seek treatment even if your injury looks minor.

The providers at The Frazier Foot and Ankle Center offer complete diabetic foot care. They might:

• Clean and drain diabetic ulcers
• Remove dead or infected tissue (debridement)
• Apply special bandages and ointments to promote healing
• Prescribe a wheelchair or crutches to take weight off your foot
• Prescribe oral or intravenous (IV) antibiotics to eliminate the infection
• Treating or removing ingrown toenails
• Treating toenail fungus
• Prescribe custom orthotics

These measures, combined with healthy lifestyle changes, can keep your feet and toes healthy for years to come.