“My mothers feet are turning black and extremely itchy. What should we do?”
My mother has been diabetic for the last 32 years. Her sugar levels keep fluctuating a lot and her feet are often swollen up because of edema and now there is severe discoloration happening. Her skin around the feet also feels extremely itchy. What should we do?
4 Answers
Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus can damage the lining of blood vessels and nerves. This can eventually restrict blood flow to the feet, among other areas. Leg cramps can interrupt walking. Feet which are poorly perfused can appear more red and shiny than usual. In later stages their color may even turn black, meaning that the tissues are dying (gangrene). Nerve damage is expressed as numbness or unusual sensitivity ("pins and needles," burning), particularly at night. Itching is less frequently reported. Controlling the blood glucose may improve the nerve sensitivity and relieve complaints. There are also specific medications and creams to numb the pain in the feet. Likewise, certain medications can improve the circulation and allow the patient to walk more comfortably.
Vijaya A. Ganta
Endocrinology-Diabetes
Make sure she sees her doctor, get blood sugar, hypertension and cholesterol under control. Fluid pill to reduce edema.
See your primary MD and request a vascular evaluation and or consult. Do this quickly.
See a Dr. right away. Her feet need diagnosis and care or she may lose them. Blood flow needs to be checked by doppler, reason for edema (congestive heart failure or a variety of other causes). Get her diabetes under control & get medical care for the feet by a physician and/or podiatrist right away.
