A diabetes-related foot condition, called Charcot Foot, often goes undiagnosed, according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS).
The condition is a foot or ankle deformity that results from nerve damage, which causes a loss of sensation that increases the risk of injury to the feet. After the foot continues to be injured, the weight-bearing joints start breaking down.
More than 30 million Americans suffer from Charcot foot, which is highly treatable if caught early, reported Health Day. The only problem is that many cases go undiagnosed, doctors say.
"People think they don't have a problem because they feel no pain, but that isn't the case," Dr. Valerie Schade, a foot and ankle surgeon in Tacoma, Wash., said in an ACFAS news release. "Anyone at risk for neuropathy, including diabetics, alcoholics and some chemotherapy patients, should see a foot and ankle surgeon early and at least once every year, even if they are considered low-risk."
If the condition goes undiagnosed or untreated, Charcot foot can become a permanent deformity and also lead to disability, surgery and, in some cases, amputation, reported Health Day. When caught too late, Charcot Foot can become abnormal in shape.
If caught early, doctors can help the fragile foot bones with casts and special orthopedic footwear.
Patients diagnosed with diabetes should be especially cautious of this condition, as about 33 percent of diabetes patients who lose feeling in their feet and other lower extremities (a condition called peripheral neuropathy), reported Health Day.
"Anyone who notices a difference -- discomfort, unexplained swelling or redness, or changes to the shape of the foot -- should seek care right away," Schade said in the release.
