Today I want to talk a little about the role alcohol can play in regards to Charcot Foot development. Although the majority of cases are related to having Diabetes and peripheral neuropathy, it is of interest to know that people with a history of alcohol abuse but who are not Diabetic, can develop neuropathy in their feet (called Alcoholic Neuropathy) which can lead to Charcot Foot. Interestingly, Diabetes was not always the leading cause of Charcot, in the past, diseases such as Leprosy and Syphilis were more likely the culprits. Thankfully with todays modern medicine those diseases are now relatively obscure. However now, with the percentage of the population being diagnosed with Diabetes growing steadily each year (a 30% increase in children getting type 2 since the turn of 21st century!) it looks like Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is going to be the number one cause. But wether a person has Diabetes or alcohol issues, having these factors alone doesn’t necessarily cause Charcot…(after all, only about 3-4% of Diabetes will get the condition), but having the neuropathy seems to be the main contributing factor. The connection with alcohol intrigues me and makes me wonder if Diabetics with neuropathy, and who imbibe liberally may well be doubling their chances of getting Charcot foot? I myself have always had a love affair with wine, and I now would not be surprised if that had a hand in my own progression into Charcot foot! As a Diabetic I have always been told to drink alcohol moderately, as it can take blood sugar to dangerous lows. Something I didn’t know, however, but have recently learned, is that research has shown that alcohol (and smoking, too) is damaging to existing neuropathy in our feet, and thus can make it worse. I don’t know if Charcot foot caused by Alcoholic Neuropathy is any different from Charcot caused by Diabetic Neuropathy, but knowing now that alcohol is indeed damaging to neuropathy…well, that in itself is enough to scare me off of it! It won’t be easy giving up something that I find pleasurable, but when it has such a negative effect on my health I’m going to have to think twice before sipping. That is the reason I quit smoking, because not only was it damaging to my body overall, it also can make peripheral neuropathy worse. In a future post I will go over some tips and tricks for abstaining alcohol and quitting smoking that have helped me in the past and perhaps they will be useful for you too. In the meantime, relax and have an iced tea (Not the Long Island kind!).
-Cassandra, Charcotchacha copyright 2015