Can a diabetic foot ulcer be treated at home?

 A recent study based on clinical experiences and practices stated that diabetic foot ulcers need appropriate care along with thorough antibiotic therapy.

Therefore, it can be said that without fundamental clinical care, you cannot treat foot ulcers on your own. However, the increasing experience of diabetics suggests that there are plenty of useful remedies available that you can try at home for diabetic foot care.

Keep in mind, the extent of care you need depends on how deeply the tissues have been destroyed. Let’s discuss how to spot poor wound healing and when to go for specialist Diabetic Foot ulcer treatment.

What is a diabetic foot ulcer and how do they form?

Diabetic foot ulcers are sores and open wounds on the foot.

Poor circulation of blood is the number one reason that approx. 15% of diabetics suffer from foot ulcers.

Nerve damage and circulation damage affect an individual’s ability to feel pain or heal wounds. Therefore, the risk of infections increases and foot ulcers can even lead to severe cases resulting in amputation.

What makes you prone to diabetic foot ulcers?

Almost every diabetic is at a higher risk of developing a foot ulcer. Below is a list of factors that contribute to the risk :

Old age
Using insulin
Diabetic damage to kidneys, eyes and heart
Obesity
Alcoholism and substance abuse

The duration of diabetes contributes a lot to your vulnerability to open sores and wounds that don’t heal easily. When your body is unable to fight infection, it is important to understand the significance of diabetic foot care to reduce the risk of ulcers and amputations.

What is involved in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers?

Treatment of foot ulcers involves speeding up the healing process to reduce the risk of infection and amputation. Below is a list of factors that you need to consider for foot ulcers.

Preventing the infection: An infected ulcer is hard to treat for a diabetic patient. Therefore, strategies to prevent infection are considered necessary. For instance, you must keep the ulcer clean and use special footwear or a brace to offload the pressure on the foot. To avoid further complications, you must focus on keeping the wound well dressed and dry..

Medication: For immediate foot pain treatment, dressings and medications are given. However, circulation is also crucial for a diabetic. Therefore, proper evaluation by a podiatrist is necessary before applyingulcer dressings.

Blood glucose management: Effective control of the blood sugar level is also important to enhance the healing process. Close monitoring by a podiatrist and an endocrinologist is highly recommended during the treatment of foot ulcers.

Surgery: Surgical management is not recommended for uninfected foot ulcers. However, if general care fails and the deformities like hammertoes, bunions and bumps are increasing the frequency of ulcers, surgical removal is required.

What are at-home diabetic foot ulcer remedies?

You must usethe ultimate wound care strategy when you notice an ulcer. It is important to clean the wound right away and apply an antibiotic cream.

The internet is filled with remedies and product suggestions you can try on your wound. Be mindful of what you are applying. For instance, full-strength betadine is not going to help but may actually increase complications.

Healing is fasterif the wound is not infected. However, you must closely observe the wound to notice any signs of infection.

When should you see a doctor for diabetic foot ulcers?

Rather than waiting for the wound to get infected, it is highly recommended to book an appointment right away and minimize the risk of complications.

Those who are wondering whether they should search for the best Diabetic Foot Treatment near me or if they can just Google the best ointment for foot ulcers; should read the below-mentioned points.

Timely treatment is essential to prevent further complications. If you decide to google the course of treatment and wait to initiate healing, you might regret it later.
Deeply infected ulcers need surgical intervention. If you try at-home wound management strategies and they fail, the ulcer can get infected and invite severe life-threatening complications.
Aloe vera, tea tree oil, and Vitamin E all help in fighting the infection, but they can’t be considered reliable for a diabetic. When you are at a higher risk of developing slow-healing wounds, it is best to consult a podiatrist as soon as you notice a wound.

Conclusion

To sum it up, regular medical care is important for diabetics. Wound or no wound, if a person is struggling with unmanaged blood glucose levels, they should undergo a thorough examination for neuropathy and circulation damage. Moreover, slow-healing foot ulcers can increase be at increased risk of developing infections. Rather than waiting with some at-home remedies that you got from the internet, minimise the risk of further complications by seeking immediate medical care.

A board-certified podiatrist can not only monitor the damage but also provide proper wound care and guidance for shoes and socks to reduce the risk of infections. Visit the link given below to find the gold standard of treatment for Podiatry Noosa.