Losing Protective Threshold is Major Risk to Diabetics: MD Podiatrist

 
According to podiatrist Dan Michaels, DPM, there are two primary ways that diabetes affects feet. One is neuropathy, in which people experience anything from “odd sensations in the feet, all the way to no sensation in the feet.” Burning, stinging, or even cold sensations can occur with neuropathy as well.
 
The second biggest issue is “losing protective threshold,” Dr. Michaels says. Someone with reduced circulation and sensation could step on an object, causing injury, and not feel a thing. “You won’t start to notice it until you’ve already started to have issues,” he explains. What would be a small annoyance – say a rock in a shoe – left for a long amount of time can lead to severe injury.