Diabetes

Diabetes care and treatment of foot ulcers is extremely important in managing this disease. Every diabetic should be educated on the reasons why and how to take care of their feet.

Diabetics have problems with their feet. This is caused by nerve damage in the feet and the narrowing of blood vessels in the legs. These two problems can cause a tiny cut or foot ulcer to become extremely infected and lead to gangrene of the foot. Gangrene can lead to amputation of the foot or leg. But the good news is that all these problems can be prevented.

First and most important, if you have toes or feet that are blue or pale – this is a symptom of poor circulation. And if you feel numbness or tingling in your toes or feet, this is a symptom of nerve damage. If you have any of these symptoms you should talk with your primary care physician immediately.

Diabetic foot ulcers are open wounds or sores that commonly develop on the bottom of the feet. Approximately 5 to 6 percent of diabetics who develop foot ulcers will need to be hospitalized because of infections. Up to 25 percent of these patients will eventually need amputation.

The primary goal in the treatment of foot ulcers is to obtain healing as soon as possible. The appropriate treatment of these wounds must include the prevention of infection, relieving pressure off the wound, debridement or removing of dead skin and tissue, applying dressings with medications, and of course, managing blood glucose levels.

There have been significant strides made in the last decade in the science of wound care. When I was a child the prevailing wisdom was to let the air get to the wound but we now know that can be detrimental to the healing of wounds. Foot ulcers heal better and with less infection when the ulcers are covered and kept moist with topical medications. Other effective treatments are cleaning with normal saline solution and advanced treatments involving skin substitutes. There also must be sufficient circulation to the ulcerated areas and your physicians can determine if the circulation is sufficient for proper healing.

Prevention is the best way to avoid wound problems. This involves proper foot care, including regularly washing and inspecting feet, carefully inspecting feet for small cuts, breaks in the skin, blisters, corns or calluses. Corns or calluses should be treated by a physician or nursing staff. Small cuts should be treated with antibiotic ointments. It is extremely important to keep toe nails properly trimmed to avoid ingrown toenails as this can also be a source of infection or foot problems. And diabetics should never go bare footed.

If a diabetic notices that a foot feels hot, is red or if they are running a fever, it is extremely important for them to get to their doctor as soon as possible. Infections in the foot can get worse quickly and gangrene can develop quickly also.

Diabetes care and treatment of foot ulcers is extremely important in managing this disease. Every diabetic should be educated on the reasons why and how to take care of their feet.

No related posts.