True And False Quiz: Diabetes And The Feet 
by Dr. Mike DeBrule 


If you’re among the close to 21 million Americans that have diabetes, even minor or ordinary foot problems can lead to serious complications. Proper foot care is an important part of any diabetes management plan. Whether you’ve had diabetes for years or have been recently diagnosed, be sure to take off your shoes and socks to inspect your feet. This true and false quiz is part of the APMA (American Podiatric Medicine Association) “Kick Your Socks Off” campaign for diabetes awareness. Please see www.apma.org for more information. Good luck with the quiz! 

1. Diabetes is the nation’s leading cause of adult blindness, lower limb amputations and kidney failure.
True-Diabetes is a systematic disease that attacks the entire body. You may be able to detect early signs and symptoms of diabetes by having regular foot screenings by an APMA member podiatrist or your primary care physician.

2. Even though someone in my family has diabetes, I don’t need to worry about it. 
False-Along with age and obesity, heredity can increase your chances of developing diabetes. In fact, Hispanic/Latino Americans, African Americans and Native Americans are nearly twice as likely to develop the disease.

3. I’ve only had diabetes for a few years, so I don’t have to worry as much about my feet.
False-All people with diabetes can have problems with their feet which could lead to an amputation. Comprehensive foot care plans can reduce amputation rates by 45 percent to 85 percent. People with diabetes should have their feet screened on a regular basis by an APMA member podiatrist. 

4. I need to educate my family on the dangers of diabetes.
True-Diabetes is a family affair. Everyone in the family should know about the disease and should be helping those with diabetes control it.

5. As long as my feet do not hurt, I don’t need to visit a podiatrist.
False-Diabetes can lead to loss of sensation or numbness of the extremities. This means you may not feel the pain, even if it is a significant problem. Any noticeable change in the feet such as redness, swelling, sores that don’t heal, loss of hair or scaly skin may indicate a more serious problem.

6. Having diabetes makes my feet more susceptible to common infections, such as athlete’s feet and fungal toenails.
True-The body’s decreased immune response in people with diabetes can make common foot infections more prevalent.

7. My regular doctor will tell me everything I need to know about how to care for my feet if I have diabetes.
False-Diabetes is a complicated disease, affecting many different parts of the body. For this reason, your diabetes treatment team should include various specialists, including podiatrists, who have been trained to focus on different areas from head to toe.




Minnesota Podiatrist Dr. Mike DeBrule treats foot problems that can cause [foot,ankle,knee,hip,back pain] using custom foot orthotics and advanced gait analysis techniques. His office is located in Marshall, Minnesota. Visit his website http://innovativefootcare.com/ For more videos go to http://www.youtube.com/user/InnovativeFootCare.



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