A source of minor annoyance to many, an ingrown nail can develop due to a great variety of reasons. And though many experience only mild pain from one of these, for some people, there are real and potentially dangerous repercussions. How to know the difference? Much of it depends on your general health.
Read MoreThe Charcot foot is one example of some of the strange diseases that can befall the human body. It is characterized by the sudden development of a severely deformed foot, without any history of trauma. And it is accompanied by no pain whatsoever!
Read MoreOne of the most dangerous effects of diabetes is on the ability of the foot to detect various types of trauma. Some of the nerves in the feet are responsible for producing pain in response to injury. This is an extremely important sensation. When the nerves stop working well, the afflicted individual may feel some things well, but might not be alerted to other things, like a scrape, blister, or some other minor trauma to the skin. When combined with a diabetic’s reduced ability to fight bacteria, it is understandable that diabetics suffer from a higher incidence of serious, limb-threatening infections.
Read MoreDid you hear about poor uncle Steve? He cut himself while trimming his toe nails. So you might ask: “What’s the big deal“? Steve wasn’t concerned. In fact, it didn’t hurt at all, so why would he worry? Even though the cut didn’t heal in the usual time, he didn’t give it a second thought. That changed when he developed an infection, and he ended up losing his leg.
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