A diabetic foot ulcer is an open sore or wound that occurs in approximately 15 percent of patients with diabetes and is commonly located on the bottom of the foot. Of those who develop a foot ulcer, 6 percent will be hospitalized due to infection or other ulcer-related complication.
Causes
Neuropathy occurs in diabetic patients when their nerves don’t receive proper nutrients due to increased glucose and altered metabolism.
The feet of patients who suffer from diabetes are particularly neuropathic or sometimes vasculopathy ( insufficient blood flow). These conditions can destroy nerve cells and cause tingling, pain, and numbness.
Diabetes also interferes with normal wound healing. Skin breaks (ulcers) on the feet are also affected by diminished blood flow and the restriction of white blood cells that are needed to initiate the wound healing process.
Symptoms
These ulcers frequently form underneath calluses and cannot be felt due to diabetic neuropathy. Signs of a foot ulcer include:
• Swelling, discoloration, and warmth around the wound
• Foul-smelling discharge seeping from the wound
• Pain and firmness when the wound is touched
• Callused or thickened skin surrounding the ulcer
• Fever and chills in advanced stages of foot ulcers
Treatments
Unless treated promptly, foot ulcers of diabetic patients may cause big complications that include osteomyelitis, gangrene and sepsis.
Advanced diabetic foot ulcers commonly need wound debridement, a process of carefully removing dead tissues.
Also, your doctor would recommend at-home diabetic foot ulcer treatments that include:
- Keeping the ulcer moist and covered with appropriate wound dressings.
- Maintaining proper blood glucose levels to facilitate healing.
- Cleaning the ulcer at appropriate intervals with appropriate topical ointments.
- Avoiding excessive walking on your ulcerated foot.
- Wearing loose-fitting shoes made of soft insole materials with Velcro fasteners
- Wearing socks that contain extra padding for protection
Diabetic ulcers often experience slow healing of wound, but improvements can be seen with proper management. An ulcer which is not healing in spite of proper wound care needs re-evaluation by foot care surgeon as soon as possible to prevent major complications.
Organizations such as Madurai Footcare centre is an outpatient clinic aimed at healing recurrent ulcerations and amputations in diabetic patients, can provide resources and support to help you to cure your disease.
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