Nearly 10% of the United States population has diabetes. Of those nearly 40 million Americans, roughly 20% of them don’t know that they have the disease. Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects a person’s ability to respond to or create insulin, leading to a series of complications. One possible complication that a person may experience is known as a diabetic wound.
Diabetic wounds are commonly found on the ankles or feet. Often due to narrowed blood vessels, these wounds restrict the body’s ability to circulate oxygen properly. Without proper care, diabetic wounds may lead to serious consequences such as amputation.
This article will educate the reader about diabetic wounds and offer a guide about how they are treated and prevented.
Common Forms of Diabetic Wound Care
Diabetic wounds, also known as diabetic foot ulcers, affect roughly 15% of individuals with diabetes. Those who require insulin or have suffered from diabetes for several years are more likely to develop a foot ulcer.
Those with diabetic wounds may notice poor circulation or feeling in the lower extremities, foot irritation, redness, and swelling, or a noticeable foot deformity. People also suffering from vascular disease may have a difficult time healing from diabetic wounds, often leading to infection.
Diabetic Wound Treatment and Prevention
Those with a diabetic wound should seek medical intervention immediately. While there are certain ways to care for a diabetic wound at home, long-term solutions require medical assistance. Here are a few ways to treat a diabetic ulcer.
Prevention
Preventing diabetic wounds requires vigilance. If you struggle with diabetes, be sure to check for cuts on the feet, calluses, scratches, blisters, and ingrown toenails each day. It’s important to understand that small wounds can cause serious complications for those with diabetes.
Maintaining good hygiene is also essential to preventing diabetic wounds. This includes showering daily, cleaning dirt and debris from your feet, and thoroughly cleaning your feet with antibacterial soap.
Take Pressure Off of the Feet and Ankles
The most common way we put pressure on the feet and ankles is by standing, walking, and running. Putting weight on your feet can make a diabetic wound worse. Those with a diabetic ulcer should sit or lie down as often as possible to give the body a chance to heal.
Keep the Wound Safe
When it comes to diabetic ulcers, it’s important to keep the wound moist, clean, and safe from further harm. Doctors recommend using a saline solution to clean the wound, followed by an antibacterial ointment. From there, a bandage should be wrapped around the wound to keep it covered.
Continue to Keep Track of Blood Sugar Levels
When a diabetic experiences high or low blood sugar, diabetic wounds can get worse. This is particularly true for a blood sugar spike. When a diabetic ulcer is healing, a spike in blood sugar can disrupt the healing process.
Blood vessels become smaller during a blood sugar spike, making it difficult for all body parts to receive oxygen. In turn, white blood cells cannot properly care for diabetic ulcers.
Wound Care for Diabetics: Contact Diablo Foot & Ankle Today
Do you suffer from diabetes? Are you concerned that you are developing a diabetic wound? Diablo Foot & Ankle is here to help.
Diabetic wounds can cause several serious health complications if not treated immediately. At Diablo Foot & Ankle, we will diagnose and treat your diabetic ulcer so you can return to your life.
Don’t wait for symptoms to get worse before seeking medical attention. Contact the experts at Diablo Foot & Ankle today!
Common Podiatry Questions
What is a Podiatrist?
A podiatrist is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the foot and ankle.
What does a Podiatrist treat?
A podiatrist is a doctor who specializes in the medical and surgical care of the feet. They can treat conditions such as ingrown toenails, fungal toenails, bunions, hammertoes, and plantar fasciitis.
What’s the difference between a Podiatrist and Orthopedist?
A Podiatrist and Orthopedist are very similar to each other in many ways. They use most of the same tools and treat a lot of the same conditions. The main difference between the two is their medical training. Podiatrists are trained exclusively on the foot and ankle, whereas the Orthopedic is trained on the whole body with an additional year of training on the foot and ankle.
Where are your Podiatry clinics located?
At Diablo Foot & Ankle, we treat our foot and ankle patients in two main clinic locations in Walnut Creek and in Antioch California. Dr. Eman Elmi and Dr. Shayan Esspoor are Board Certified Podiatrists who specialize in the treatment of foot and ankle disorders.
