When you have diabetes, it's very important to take care of wounds. If left untreated, they can cause serious health issues and even amputations.

Rosa Arguelles has lived with diabetes for more than a decade. Even before her own diagnosis, she saw the effects of the disease.

Her father-in-law, who had diabetes, lost his foot more than 20 years ago after a simple cut from a piece of glass.

"In Texas, [there are] 65,000 amputations a year, and about 7,000 of those occur here in the Rio Grande Valley," UTRGV School of Podiatry Clinical Assistant Professor Dr. Raul Maldonado said.

Maldonado says these cases are common.

"I was just consulted from the ER to go see a patient with gangrene to the foot and most likely this patient will require an amputation and it started with something simple and now he's going to have an appointment with me in the OR," Maldonado said.

Many of Maldonado's patients have diabetes. He says many of their injuries start small, but are left untreated.

"The main thing is prevention, but they should have a first aid kit at home in case they do have an accident or if there's any break in the skin, but they have to call their doctor immediately and make an appointment," Maldonado said.

Diabetes affects blood circulation, which makes it harder for wounds, especially in the feet, to heal properly.

"Any time you cut yourself, you need more blood to heal, and if you cut yourself and you don't have enough blood to heal that injury, then it will develop into gangrene," Maldonado said.

Daily foot checks and proper care are crucial to preventing serious complications.

Arguelles says she takes extra precautions because she knows what the outcome could be.

"I don't want to lose my feet because I'm always walking," Arguelles said.

Keeping her feet healthy, one step and day at a time.

Watch the video above for the full story.

This April, CHANNEL 5 NEWS will educate viewers about diabetes prevention and treatment. KRGV will provide a 360-degree look into the diabetes epidemic in the RGV.

H-E-B and South Texas Health System are offering free diabetes screenings in the month of April. Check out the calendar at this link for times and dates when the screenings will be available.

Heart of the Valley: Diabetes is sponsored by Prime Health and South Texas Health System.