Diabetes, as we all know, is quite a tough disease in itself to battle with, but it’s not just the initial things that make it difficult. Diabetes is a precursor to a host of other complications like eye disorders, kidney problems, diabetic foot ulcer and much more.

We here would be talking about foot ulcers caused as part of the diabetic disease and deal with the ins and outs about the condition as part of our today’s entry. We’d further outline the causes, symptoms and treatment procedure for it along the briefing.

So join in as we present to you ‘What is Diabetic Foot Ulcer? It’s Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Care.

What is Diabetic Foot Ulcer?

Foot ulcers are the complications that arise out of diabetes and can be quite severe to some extent. The condition causes an open sore on the foot. It generally occurs as a result of the skin tissue of the foot breaking down and revealing the inside layers.

It shows shallow red crater and can be deep enough till the bones in severe cases. The crater takes a while to cure even when dealt with proper care as it does not heal quickly. The severity of the foot ulcer includes involvement of infection and pus while a good many results in bone infection or gangrene.

The Causes of Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Diabetic foot ulcers generally arise as a result of poor circulation in the foot region. While high blood sugar levels and nerve damage or even wounds in the feet may result in foot ulcers in many cases.

In cases of poor circulation of blood, the foot ulcers take quite a bit of time to heal as the blood efficiency in the foot region is at a low level. Furthermore, many develop a bit of reduced sensation on the feet as a result of nerve damage or more.

The Symptoms of Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Ulcers develop many symptoms before affecting fully. One may notice the drainage and lump in the foot region. The constant occurrence of corns, bleeding wounds or calluses may also be the warning signs of foot ulcers in the future.

Unusual swelling or redness in the foot along with the odor can also showcase the early signs of foot ulcer. When it turns into a serious bid, then the black tissue formation is visible in the area. This might be because of gangrene or tissue death and creates numbness, pain, and odor from the region.

Always seek professional help for the matters if any initial signs show up as that way you can be sure to heal it quickly if its ulcer. The doctor will render the verdict upon the inspection and help you on the matter.

The Risk Factors for Diabetic Foot Ulcer

There are many risk factors that may lead to foot ulcers at the end. We shall look to identify them with a list for better viewing down below-

• Poor quality or fitting of the footwear.
• Unhygienic appearance of foot
• Improper care of the nails of the toe.
• Heavy intake of alcohols and tobacco.
• Obesity and Weight-related
• Complication arising from Diabetes like eye problems, kidney problems and more.
• Although aging or old age can also be counted among them.

The Treatment Procedure for Diabetic Foot Ulcer

As we talked about in the aforementioned briefings, diabetic foot ulcers can be quite difficult to handle to and cause quite a bit of pain. Although, it’s not as if it cannot be treated for. Many advise the patients to stay off the ground or keep their foot off the ground. That way the pain can be reduced as the impact doesn’t occur on the ulcer.

Furthermore, you can even try diabetic shoes or casts to help you around and keep your feet safe. There are shoe inserts and compression wraps especially available for the same purpose too.

When counting on the medical intervention, then the doctors are more likely to use debridement to remove the dead skin or infections arising because of foot ulcer. They may further advise on the dressing of the ulcer region on the foot to cure it off if it is in its initial stage.

However, for more severe cases, an X-ray is used to first seek answers whether the ulcer has affected the bone or not. The last case scenario would be to seek the help of surgeon as that may your ulcer can be prevented from causing a worse situation like amputation and more.

The Prevention Module for Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Not everything will be dull and gloomy forever. Although the complications can lead to diabetic foot ulcers, in the long run, it can still be prevented with a little care and guidance. We’ll look to offer the preventive guide down below.

• Always keep your diabetes under control and your blood sugar level stable.
• Wash your feet on a daily basis.
• Always dry your feet and moisturize it.
• Trim your toenails so as to keep it clean.
• Wear properly fitted shoes to maintain the balance on your foot.

How to Care for Diabetic Foot Ulcer?

We talked much about the treatment and the prevention module up above. But that’s not all, is it? One should also care for the foot and the ulcers so as to either heal them or stop them from recurring. We’ll look to shed lights on that one down here.

• Always have foot baths to liberate the ulcer and keep it free of germs and more.
• Regularly disinfect the skin area nearby the ulcer.
• You can further dress the ulcer to keep it dry.
• Use enzyme or other dressings with calcium paginates to stop the bacteria from growing.
• Use diabetic shows to keep the ulcers from bay if already treat for.

Diabetic foot ulcers are quite dangerous when they occur but can be treated and reduced if diagnosed earlier. Always care for your foot region and seek medical help if any insurgent symptoms arise. That way the ulcer can be healed without mustering much pain on your part. And if you’ve been suffering from it, then still it’s not all dark. You can care for it and manage it better.

That’s all from us on this one. We shall be back with another one. Adios.