How are toenail fungus and type 2 diabetes related?

Vedelanhealthcare
4 min readAug 23, 2022

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foot care for diabetics, type 2 diabetes

Your toenails, whether short or long, thick or thin, can reveal a lot about your health. Before the symptoms appear, changes to the color, texture, or thickness of the toenail can indicate that you’re sick. Especially if you have type 2 diabetes, it raises a red flag that something is wrong. It is important to take special foot care for diabetics as these changes in the nails can be signs of bigger problems.

What is Toenail Fungus?

Toenail fungus is a common foot infection that starts as a white or yellow patch under the tip of the nail. Toenail infections are usually brought by a fungus called dermatophytes, but yeast and molds can also be to blame. If the fungal infection is not treated, it will infiltrate the nail, resulting in discoloration, bitterness, and edge crumbling. It might even spread to other toenails.

Toenail Fungus

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

With Type 2 Diabetes, the body’s ability to control and utilize sugar (glucose) as energy is compromised. Too much sugar circling in the bloodstream results in this long-term disease. Eventually, cardiovascular, neurological, and immune system issues might result from excessive blood sugar levels.

Type 2 Diabetes- Vedelan

What are the risk factors for type 2 diabetes patients suffering from Toe Infection?

Daily foot care for diabetics is a habit worth developing because nail fungus can return even after proper treatment. Especially if you have type 2 diabetes, a compromised immune system, or poor circulation. Older adults are more likely to develop toenail fungus simply because they have long years of fungi exposure and slower growing toenails. Other infection risk factors include excessive foot sweating, foot ulcers, blisters, and going barefoot near swimming pools or public shower rooms.

Diabetic-related health risks include decreased blood flow and circulation to the foot, which promotes toenail fungus growth. Toenail fungus can become severe and potentially permanently harm your nails if left untreated. If you have type 2 diabetes, you already have a chance of developing bacterial skin infection; even minor foot problems like toenail fungus can have serious consequences, including, in extreme circumstances, nerve damage. Therefore, foot care for diabetics is very important to maintain good health. Here you can know about which skin conditions are linked to type-2 diabetes.

How does having Type 2 diabetes can cause Toenail fungus?

Usually, in Diabetic patients, poor blood circulation is one of the symptoms that diabetic patients suffer from. Poor blood circulation is generally because by high glucose levels in diabetic patients, which narrows the arteries in the arms and legs. Toenail function can also be caused because of an injury. Since there is a lot of time that people with diabetes do not realize they have an injury in the foot because of neuropathy, that is because of a lack of sense due to nerve damage, and these injuries can lead to severe infection and cause toenail fungus. One more reason that is apparent is that an increase in sugar level causes general vulnerability to fungi infections.

Foot care for Diabetics

Toenail Fungus cannot be taken lightly if you have Type 2 Diabetes symptoms. It is important to examine your feet for any changes to the skin or nails, including cuts, redness, swelling, ulcers, blisters, corns, and calluses, every day. Wash your feet in warm water, not hot water. Avoid soaking your feet. Apply specific foot care for diabetic products, which include moisturizer or lotion. Apply proper moisturizer to the top and bottom of your feet after completely drying them off because if you don’t, it can cause a damp area for the fungus to grow. It would be good if you wear shoes at all times. Always wear shoes, socks, or even indoor slippers to prevent injuries. Make sure that there are no rocks inside the shoe that can cause an injury.

Why use Vedelan Foot care for Diabetics?

The Vedelan range of skin care products for diabetics includes natural and organic formulations as well as foot care for diabetics that help to keep them healthy internally and externally. Depending on your skin type, you can find the right product on the Vedelan website.

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