Treatment for Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Treatment for Diabetic Foot Ulcers : An ulcer or a wound is a break in the skin. It is open sore and this condition effects about 20% of diabetic patients. Diabetic foot ulcers are commonly located at the bottom of the foot.

The main reason people with diabetes develop foot ulcers are:

Loss of feeling in the foot
Poor blood flow to the foot
Increased pressure
Direct Injury to the foot

Diabetic foot ulcers have high risk of infection, especially if you have from a long period of time. The infection can spread from the wound to the bone.

If you have developed diabetic foot ulcer, contact your podiatrist or professional doctor for better way in which they can develop treatment plan for you.

If your wound is:

Painful
Red
Hot
Swollen
Has pus or foul smell

You should contact emergency services immediately as you may have a diabetic foot infection. This is very serious, as you may need emergency antibiotics to treat this infection.

Treatment:

There are antibiotics that can treat bone infection, however if the infection effects too much of bone, the bone needs to be removed or amputated, to promote better healing or to provide better functioning foot.

Your treatment plan will include x-ray or MRI. Your provider will also show you to how dress or cover your wound and how to offload your wound for better healing.

Offloading means reducing pressure and friction to the wound for better healing. Offloading can be done through a total contact cast or by wound healing shoe. The wound healing shoe has a special insertion that reduces friction and can be modified to reduce pressure on your wound. You can use specially designed diabetic socks for additional protection and comfort for your feet. You can find some best women’s diabetic socks online which are very comfortable and don’t hinder with your blood circulation hence reducing pressure on foot areas to avoid any further wound development.

Remember a cast or wound healing shoe is only a temporary. Once your wound is healed, your provider needs to order diabetic shoes and custom insert to prevent another ulcer.

Some important things to remember:

Also, remember to clean your diabetic foot ulcer with only soapy water. Do not soak your foot and do not use bleach or hydrogen peroxide to clean your ulcer, as it can worsen the ulcer and the surrounding skin.

Remember diabetic foot ulcer is serious condition and needs professional care to treat it.