When suffering from diabetes, it is crucial to treat foot injuries immediately. If the wound is not treated immediately and immediately, even a minor wound can turn into a serious foot ulcer, and you can pay a huge price for one foot or even your whole leg.
The following simple steps can prevent such problems.
Common causes
Comfort in your feet is important, says Dr. Raul Guzman, a vascular surgeon in the medical department of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, USA: “Simple problems like wearing new or very tight shoes or a small stone stuck in your shoe can lead to ulcers in your feet.”
If you have diabetes, the nerves may be damaged, which makes it impossible to feel pain in your feet, which doctors call neuropathy, and you may not know you’ve hurt yourself if your foot perception is impaired.
A small cut or minor pain can get worse, or you may have poor blood flow to your foot, making it difficult to heal a minor wound.
Blood flow test
Your doctor will tell you if you have nerve damage or poor blood flow. Raul says your doctor can do a test that shows how the blood is flowing through your body, and if the results show normal, your wound can be treated using standard methods.
He said, “If the blood flow test shows abnormal results, that means you have poor circulation and it still needs to be repaired.”
Surgery will help. Lauer said, “We can use a balloon and stent approach, or we can do a bypass procedure where we connect the artery above the blockage to an artery in the lower leg or foot.”
Wound treatment options
If you have a foot injury, don’t treat it at home, even if it’s a blister, callus, or scratch, go to a wound care center or see a doctor.
Dr. Harold Brem, chief of the Division of Wound Healing and Regenerative Medicine at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y., said, “Applying antibiotic ointment and going to a wound care center or seeing a doctor by day 2 at the latest are problems that can be life-threatening to your limb and to your life, so don’t take chances.”
Your doctor will clean and treat the wound the right way and prescribe a cream medication for you to use at home.
Help from your doctor
If your foot develops an ulcer, your doctor will clean it out. This process is called debridement. The doctor will dress the wound if needed, Raul said.
In recent years, cutting-edge therapies like stem cells and growth factors have been used to treat foot ulcers. Harold said, “These are no longer extreme measures.”
As you heal, you should also reduce the weight on your feet. Lauer said there are many types of casts or boots at the doctor’s that may help you.
Take precautions
The best way to avoid ulcers is to maintain the health of your feet, with the following recommendations:
Check your feet daily
If your feet lose feeling, it’s important to check for problems, Lauer said, adding that even with the help of a mirror, it can be difficult for many people to check the bottoms of their feet and ask a spouse or friend to help you.
Carefully wash your feet
When you shower, soap your feet, wash them with warm water, and dry your feet completely, even between your toes, where moisture can be harmful.
Using lotions or creams can prevent dry or cracked feet, the latter of which can lead to ulcers. Harold says, “Think of your skin as the most important organ in your body.”
Dress for comfort
Wear soft socks and comfortable shoes; avoid high heels and pointy shoes or shoes that are too narrow, which can hurt your feet, and your doctor will help you choose special shoes if needed.
Harold said, “Shoes are very important, and the choice of athletic shoes is different for patients with severe ulcers than for patients without ulcers, who also need proper insoles.”
Trim your toenails
People with diabetes should see a podiatrist, a doctor who specializes in foot care, regularly to consult with them about whether they should trim their toenails to prevent injury. Such injuries may be common for patients with neuropathy or foot ulcers.
Harold said, “If you have diabetes, only have a professional trim your toenails, never go to a nail salon.”