Diabetes Foot Ulcers
What to Expect at Home
Diabetes has the potential to harm your feet’s blood vessels and nerves. Your feet may become less sensitive and numb as a result of this injury. Because of this, you run the risk of injuring your feet, and if you do, they might not recover properly. It’s possible that you won’t notice a blister and that it will worsen.
If you have acquired an ulcer, treat it according to the advice given by your healthcare professional. To avoid developing ulcers in the future, pay attention to the recommendations on how to take care of your feet. Please refer to the details below as a reminder.
Debridement
Debridement is one method of ulcer treatment. Dead skin and tissue are removed with this procedure. Never attempt to perform this on your own. This must be done by a provider, like a podiatrist, to ensure that the debridement is done properly and does not worsen the injury.
- Cleansing and disinfecting the skin around the wound is done.
- A metal probe is used to measure the depth of the wound and check for any foreign objects or substances inside the ulcer.
- After removing the dead tissue, the healthcare practitioner cleans the ulcer.
- The sore may appear deeper and larger afterward. The ulcer ought to be pink or red. Pale or purple/black-colored wounds have a lower chance of healing.
The provider may also employ the following techniques to eliminate diseased or dead tissue:
- Step into a bathtub with a Whirlpool.
- To remove dead tissue, use a catheter (tube) and syringe.
- To remove dead tissue, use wet to dry dressings to the affected area.
- Apply specific substances, known as enzymes, to your ulcer. They remove dead tissue from the incision.
- Place an order for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which helps the wound absorb more oxygen.
Taking Pressure Off Your Foot Ulcer
Excessive pressure on one area of the foot might contribute to the development of foot ulcers.
You can be asked to wear a brace, a cast, or special shoes by your healthcare professional. Until the ulcer heals, you might have to use crutches or a wheelchair. The ulcer region will experience less pressure thanks to these gadgets. This will facilitate quicker healing.
It is occasionally possible to undo the healing that has occurred throughout the day by applying pressure to the healing ulcer for even a brief period of time.
Make sure the shoes you wear don’t heavily pressure any one area of your foot.
- Put on suede, canvas, or leather shoes. Wearing shoes composed of plastic or other materials that prevent air from entering and leaving the shoe is not recommended.
- Put on shoes that you can readily adjust. There ought to be buckles, Velcro, or laces on them.
- Put on shoes that are neither excessively tight or poorly fitting. It’s possible that you need a custom shoe that fits your foot.
- Shoes with open or pointed toes, like sandals, flip-flops, or high heels, should not be worn.
Wound Care and Dressings
Follow your provider’s instructions for wound care. Additional guidelines could be as follows:
- Maintain strict control of your blood sugar levels. This aids in the body’s ability to fight infections and speeds up healing.
- Bandage and keep the ulcer clean.
- Use a bandage or wound dressing to clean the wound once a day.
- As the ulcer heals, try to release some pressure.
- Unless your provider gives you the all-clear, never go barefoot.
- It’s also critical to quit smoking, regulate high cholesterol, and maintain appropriate blood pressure control.
Your healthcare professional may treat your ulcer with a variety of dressings.
First-use dressings are frequently wet-to-dry ones. During this procedure, your wound will be dressed with a moist dressing. The dressing absorbs the material from the wound as it dries. A portion of the tissue comes off with the dressing when it is removed.
- You’ll find out from your doctor how frequently you should change the dressing.
- Family members might be able to assist you, or you might be able to change your dressing on your own.
- You might also benefit from a visiting nurse.
Additional kinds of dressings are:
- clothing with medication in it
- Skin replacements
Make sure the skin surrounding your dressing is dry. Try not to let the dressings reach too close to the healthy tissue surrounding your ulcer. This may exacerbate foot issues by causing the good tissue to soften.
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When to Call the Doctor
The best method to find out if your diabetes puts you at risk for foot ulcers is to have regular checkups with your provider. Using a device known as a monofilament, your healthcare physician should assess your feeling. The pulses in your feet will also be examined.
In case you experience any of these infection signs and symptoms, get in touch with your provider:
- Redness, elevated body temperature, or edema surrounding the injury
- Additional drainage
- Pus
- Odor
- Chills or fever
- Heightened discomfort
- More rigidity surrounding the injury
In addition, if your foot ulcer is extremely black, blue, or white, call your provider.
