With nearly 25 million Americans already diagnosed, America is in the throes of a diabetes epidemic that's quickly gaining in momentum. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one out of every three children will develop diabetes sometime in their life. The prognosis is even more grim for Latino children: the CDC predicts that one in every two will eventually develop diabetes.

According to New York City podiatrist Dr. Michael Perlstein, the severity of the diabetes crisis is illustrated by a trend he's seeing in his practice: more and more patients are undergoing highly preventable amputations due to complications from diabetes.

"The statistics are staggering: more than 60 percent of all nontraumatic lower-limb amputations occur in diabetic patients," says Dr. Perlstein, pointing out that foot problems are the leading cause of hospitalization among diabetics and adding that with proper treatment, many of those problems and most importantly, amputations could have been avoided

Why is diabetes so tough on the feet?

• Diabetic neuropathies, a family of nerve disorders caused by diabetes, are present in about 70 percent of diabetic patients. Sometimes there are no symptoms and other times there may be tingling or loss of feeling, very commonly in the feet and legs. "In the absence of pain a diabetic patient cannot tell what is going on with their feet. A small cut that became infected goes undetected until an ulcer has developed or a bone infection has set in," explains Dr. Perlstein.

The likelihood that a patient will develop a nerve disorder increases with age, but lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol use can also lead to neuropathy.

• Dr. Perlstein also warns that diabetes is the most common cause of peripheral vascular disease, which can lead to numbness in the foot or toes, changes in the temperature of the feet and skin infections and sores that do not heal well. Skin infections and sores left untreated are also common causes for amputations.

Diabetics are likely to develop peripheral vascular disease and smoking, drinking and lack of physical activity increases that risk.

What can you do?
One of the most effective ways to prevent diabetic amputations, says Dr. Perlstein, will literally knock your socks off.

"Check your feet. Insist that your primary care physician carefully examine your feet in order to identify any red flags before it's too late," says Dr. Perlstein, going on to say that "self foot exams" among diabetics are the key to avoiding amputation.

"Check your feet every single day. Look them over completely, including between the toes and with the help of a mirror to see underneath. If you see anything out of the ordinary, especially an open wound, call your doctor immediately."

Summer time is open season for the foot complications that all too often lead to amputations in diabetic patients, which is why Dr. Perlstein urges all diabetics to invest in saving their feet this season.