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By Mayo Clinic Staff

Diabetes complications can include nerve damage and poor blood flow. Nerve damage can keep people with diabetes from feeling skin sores, called ulcers. Less blood flow can make it harder for sores to heal, so sores on the feet can get worse quickly.

The good news is that managing your diabetes and taking care of your feet can help prevent foot ulcers.

Foot ulcers need care right away. An ulcer that won't heal harms tissue and bone. It may lead to surgical removal, called amputation, of a toe, a foot or part of a leg.

The following raise the risk of amputation in people with diabetes:

• High blood sugar levels.
• Smoking.
• Nerve damage in the feet, called peripheral neuropathy.
• Calluses or corns.
• Changes in the shape of the feet.
• Poor blood flow to the arms and legs, called peripheral artery disease.
• A history of foot ulcers.
• A past amputation.
• Vision issues.
• Kidney disease.
• High blood pressure, above 140/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).

Here's how to keep feet healthy, how to know when to see a healthcare professional and what happens if you need an amputation.