It is very common to see poor blood circulation to the legs (also called Peripheral Vascular Disease or P.V.D) in people with diabetes due to advanced atheroscelosis. This problem involves both the small and large blood vessels of the legs and feet. When the vessels become clogged, a person experiences discomfort or pain in the thigh or calf muscles while standing, walking or exercising. The first physical sign of loss of circulation may be the loss of pulses in the feet. Therefore it is very important that your doctor checks your pulses in the feet every three months.
A good blood flow to the legs is always important but it becomes even more so when extra blood is needed to heal an injury or fight any infection that might occur in the foot.
A number of factors speed up the process of atherosclerosis in diabetes. If these can be avoided or treated, the likelihood of serious problems with large and small blood vessels can be reduced. Heart attack or stroke need to be prevented in diabetes. |
