NHCC PODIATRIST, WILMA HUNT-WATTS, DABSMSP, FAPWCA, URGES DIABETICS TO PERFORM A SIMPLE FOOT EXAM FOR WARNING SIGNS OF DIABETES AND TO HELP AVOID AMPUTATIONS

Simple foot exam can diagnose diabetes and reduce number of diabetes–related amputations by as much as 80%

East Meadow, NY…..Wilma Hunt-Watts, DABSMSP, FAPWCA, a Nassau Health Care Corporation podiatrist urged diabetics to perform a simple foot exam, looking for warning signs of diabetes and to help avoid amputations. On Long Island, a significant number of residents suffers from diabetes, with African-Americans having the highest death rate and dying from the disease at three times the rate of white New Yorkers. “African Americans are also almost three times more likely to suffer from lower-limb amputations compared to Caucasians,” says Dr. Wilma Hunt-Watts, a podiatrist at the Nassau Health Care Corporation, a trustee for New York Podiatric Medical Association and chair of the organization’s 2007 Knock Your Socks Off campaign. 

This year the NYSPMA’s diabetes outreach is aimed squarely at African-Americans because they are considered at such high risk for type 2 diabetes. “It’s important to know that something as simple as a foot exam can reveal the first warning signs of  diabetes and could save a limb,” Dr. Hunt-Watts says.  The campaign begins in November, Diabetes Awareness Month, and will continue throughout the year.

While most people with diabetes in New York have physical exams each year, only one in three has a foot exam. “This is especially alarming when statistics compiled by the American Diabetes Association reveal that as many as 80% of lower extremity amputations can be avoided with proper foot care,” she adds. “Every single person who has diabetes needs to know that it’s vital to have their feet examined,” Dr. Hunt Watts emphasizes. 
 
The number of people in New York City that have diabetes continues to grow. In addition to the over 500,000 people diagnosed with diabetes there are over 200,000 more New Yorkers who have it but don’t know it.  “Warning signs of the disease can often appear first in the feet—and an early diagnosis is critical to help control this epidemic,” Dr. Hunt-Watts maintains.  In addition to insisting that doctors check their feet, people with diabetes should check their own feet regularly for the following diabetes signs and symptoms:

Numbness
Redness
Tingling sensations
Burning sensations
Loss of hair
Cuts and scrapes that are slow to heal

If any of these symptoms are present, Dr. Hunt-Watts and the New York State Podiatric Medical Association recommend visiting a podiatrist immediately.