4 Specialists A diabetic must see in a year.

The following is a list of some of the specialists that a person with diabetes should see in a given year, at least annually, if not more often:

Podiatrist

A podiatrist is more commonly known as a “foot doctor.” They are able to perform your annual comprehensive foot exam. For this, they will ask you to close your eyes, and they will touch the bottom of your foot in different places with a 10 millimeter monofilament. A monofilament is a piece of plastic wire that is similar to a fishing line. It won’t hurt at all. It is used to test for sensation in the feet, due to people with diabetes can have neuropathy, and a loss of sensation in their feet. The podiatrist will also check your pulses, often with a Doppler machine. They will look for problems with your feet, including ingrown toenails, calluses, corns, or bunions. They will look for deformities such as Charcot’s foot. They can trim thickened toenails, remove calluses, and help to make sure your feet stay as healthy as possible.

Ophthalmologist or optometrist

Every year, people with diabetes should have a vision examination. This is due to the increased incidence of vision problems and blindness for people with diabetes. It shouldn’t be just any vision examination. It should always be a dilated retinal exam (DRE). An ophthalmologist, or vision doctor, can perform this examination. You will have drops placed in your eyes to dilate the pupils, or the center part of your eye. This is so the doctor can look in the back of your eyes, specifically at the collection of blood vessels in the back of your eye.

An optometrist can also perform the examination. The doctor of ophthalmology may choose to take pictures of your retina, and the blood vessels leading to and from it. During your vision exam, you will need to make sure that your provider knows that you are a diabetic, so that you can get the appropriate evaluation.

Endocrinologist

If you are having trouble getting your diabetes under control, or you have read our article on. you may want to get a referral to a local doctor with special training in the diseases of the endocrine system. This doctor will have special knowledge of diabetes, and he or she should know about all of the new medications coming on the market for diabetes. An endocrinologist may also have in-house certified diabetes educators. They can help you to set your SMART goals, and get back on track in the New Year.

You don’t have to get an endocrinologist, but they could become a very important part of your Diabetes Care Team. The choice to find one is up to you.

Dentist

People with diabetes get more periodontal disease. Therefore, getting regular dental check-ups every six months in recommended. Make sure to tell your dentist that you have diabetes, and take care of your blood glucose before and during the appointment. It is a good idea to eat a meal or snack before you go, so that your blood glucose does not go too low during your cleaning.