Diabetic Foot Ulcers: Causes and Treatments

 Diabetes makes you prone to ulcers, wounds and infection. Approx. 15% of diabetics have located at least one foot ulcer in their lifetime. When left ignored these ulcers can create serious complications and even need hospitalisation or, in worst cases, amputation.

The good news, with proper diabetic foot care,ulcers can be prevented. Moreover, timely assessment and treatment are crucial to reducing the risk of amputation. So keep on reading to self-educate about the causes and choices available for diabetic foot ulcer treatment.

Diabetic foot ulcers: causes and treatments

Diabetics who are overweight or using alcohol and tobacco are prone to increased risk of developing foot ulcers. There are countless reasons behind the formation of these ulcers, such as:

Disrupted blood circulation
Inability to feel pain due to nerve damage
Trauma or injury
Calluses and foot deformity
Dry skin
Reduced ability to heal
Poor immunity to fight infections

It was proven in research that 60% of the diabetic population develop neuropathy or nerve damage. It leads to the risk of developing foot ulcers.

Treatment of diabetic foot ulcers

Diabetics should check their feet daily. Once the ulcer is noticed, it should be treated immediately. Waiting can lead to increasedrisk of severe infection or amputation. Timely treatments save you money and also improve the functioning of your feet.

For faster healing of a foot ulcer, you need to focus on certain things, like reducing pressure on the foot with the ulcer. Reducing the risk of infection by applying medications to the ulcer and managing blood glucose levels to ensure faster healing also assists healing.

Infection prevention: Not every ulcer is infectious but delayed treatment can make it infectious. Keeping the ulcer clean and daily cleansing of the wound is essential for infection prevention. Diabetics are often advised to avoid walking barefoot. If you observe a foot ulcer, keep in mind that walking barefoot can increase the risk of infection.

Pressure reduction: Foot ulcers are often located at the bottom of the foot. To reduce pressure on the affected foot, patients wear special supporting footwear, a cast, a brace or even use a wheelchair. Using any of these options reduces irritation of the ulcer and the surrounding skin and facilitates faster recovery.

Dressing and medicines: It is important to keep the wound clean and apply a dressing over it. That said, applying topical medication and dressing at home is not recommended because proper circulation is also important. Therefore, you should search for Diabetic Neuropathy and contact the podiatrist for further guidance. Podiatrists are foot doctors who may use advanced medications or conduct further evaluations to find the best treatment options.

Surgery: Timely assessment of foot ulcers and applying a dressing to heal the wound faster is the most sought-after way to fight the risk of infection and amputation.Despite this,, in some cases the foot ulcers get infected quickly and non-surgical methods seem inadequate. Surgical removal of foot ulcers is often accompanies by treating foot deformities like bunions and hammertoes and ensuring faster healing.

How long does it take to treat diabetic foot ulcers?

A foot ulcer leads to potential health risks. Therefore, faster healing is desired by every diabetic. It is difficult togive a definite answer to this question because the healing period may vary for every individual.

Depending on the location of the foot ulcer, the size of the wound, circulation levels, blood glucose levels and the care one gets, the healing period may differ. For some, a foot ulcer can be treated within a few weeks, whereas people with poor blood glucose levels have to struggle for months to treat ulcers located at the bottom of the foot.

For faster healing, it is important to get timely care and guidance from a podiatrist. Self-care is good for diabetics, but once a foot ulcer is observed immediate medical intervention by a licensed podiatrist is recommended.

Can you prevent diabetic foot ulcers?

Diabetics struggling with neuropathy obviously want to know if foot ulcers are preventable. Yes, diabetic foot ulcers can be prevented to a certain extent. If you visit a podiatrist for regular diabetic foot exams, you can keep the risk of developing foot ulcers at bay.

If you are prone to bunions or other foot deformities, if your blood glucose levels are highly unmanageable, if you are susceptible to neuropathy and disrupted blood circulation levels, it is highly recommended to seek the guidance of a podiatrist on a regular basis to prevent diabetic foot ulcers.

In addition to regular podiatric assessments, diabetic foot ulcers can be prevented by steering clear of the risk factors, i.e. obesity, alcoholism, smoking, high cholesterol and higher blood glucose levels.

Pay attention to your footwear choice if you observe frequent cases of foot deformities or ulcers. To reduce the risk of foot ulcers, diabetics are expected to wear only recommended types of shoes and socks. Consider getting footwear guidance from a podiatrist to support your soles and toes and reduce the risk of redness, swelling, blisters and foot ulcers.

Conclusion

Diabetic foot ulcers form because of elevated blood glucose levels and nerve damage. Your lack of ability to feel the pain and heal the open wounds can lead to the risk of severe infections and amputations. For timely assessment and treatment of foot ulcers, book an appointment at Suncoast Podiatry. The board certified podiatrists offer the best Diabetic Foot ulcer treatment in Noosa and their other clinics on the Sunshine Coast

https://www.suncoastpodiatry.com.au/