Plantar Fasciitis - Is there a link to diabetes

Someone I know has got the heel problem Plantar Fasciitis and I think he should get checked out for diabetes as I have heard there is a link. He has also got a fungal infection in his toenails though he puts this down to ingrowing toenails the nails on his big toes have died and fallen off- I have also heard this is linked to diabetes - I wondered why his doctor did not test him for this as he is also slightly over weight and 48 years old

Diabetes can, in fact, be a link to Plantar Fasciitis, though doctors are not too sure on why that may be. (See the link below.) Having said that, however, because your friend has Plantar Fasciitis doesn't necessarily mean that he is diabetic. There are other causes.

If your friend has worries that he may be diabetic, he could always ask his doctor to test him for it. Of course, the doctor would want other symptoms to be present also. i.e., excessive thirst, excessive urination, excessive hunger, etc.

If you know anyone that is diabetic, you could always ask them if they'd be willing to give your friend a blood test. This could give some indication of whether or not he has raised blood sugars, but don't make the mistake of jumping to the conclusion that he is diabetic. It always pays to get it tested properly. A doctor would most likely do a fasting blood glucose test initially. (That's testing after the patient hasn't eaten since the previous night.) If this gives a result higher than normal, the doctor may then go on to do a Glucose Tolerance Test, where the patient is given a highly sweet drink, and his/her blood sugar is tested several in later hours to see how well his/her system is dealing with this sudden influx of sugar.