Avoiding the complications of diabetes
Diabetes may affect your feet in several ways and lead to serious complications such as loss of sensation, reduced blood flow and risk of infection.
It is estimated by 2011 there will be 2.6 million people with diagnosed diabetes in Canada. The number of diabetics in Canada is expected to reach epidemic levels as the baby boomers (those born between 1945 and 1965) get older. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes you can minimize the complications of diabetes. However, some people don’t realize they have diabetes and this means thousands of cases of diabetes go unmanaged, sometimes for several years.
Over 200,000 new cases of diabetes have been diagnosed each year since 2006
Proper diabetes management includes medical checkups, proper medication to control blood sugars and regular monitoring of blood sugar levels. Without this management, various complications can take hold, including irreversible nerve damage, cardiovascular (heart) disease, loss of limbs (amputation) and others. The complications of diabetes can be devastating but most are preventable, which is often a surprise to people with diabetes.
Report from the National Diabetes Surveillance System: Diabetes in Canada, 2009
