Diabetic Foot Wounds Need Immediate Attention

By Arthur Black, DPM

The Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Center

More Podiatry Foot Care Articles

Diabetic Foot Wounds Need Immediate Attention

Small cuts in one’s feet can have big consequences in diabetics. Diabetes decreases your blood flow, so your injuries are slow to heal. When your wound is not healing, it’s at risk for infection. As a diabetic, your infections spread quickly. If it’s really bad your doctor will need to take drastic action, like amputation. This is why it is so important to take care of your feet to prevent the sores and infections.

Common to severe foot complications include neuropathy, foot skin health issues, foot calluses and ulcers, poor circulation and deformities and/or, in the extreme, limb salvage or amputation.

Neuropathy

Lack of feeling, or neuropathy, is extremely dangerous and can lead to serious foot deformity and in the extreme, partial leg amputation. The loss of feeling in your feet has other consequences deformities. This happens when sores or ulcers become infected. But there is also a serious condition called charcot (pronounced “sharko”) foot. Your foot shape changes due to bones fracturing and disintegrating. Most people continue to walk with the problem because it doesn’t hurt, so it only gets worse.

Foot Skin Health

Dryness, peeling and cracking as a result of your nerves that signal the secretion of skin oil no longer function.

Foot Calluses /Corns/ Foot Ulcers

Dry skin buildup forms calluses and corns more quickly in diabetics and need professional attention or they can form into ulcerous wounds and become infected.

Poor Circulation

Proper blood flow is a key to good foot health, but most diabetics suffer from poor circulation. The good news is that exercise, even just taking a walk, avoiding sitting for prolonged periods without stretching and avoiding crossing one’s legs while seated are all easy measures to take which reap big results for diabetics.

Daily Care for Diabetic Feet

Wash your feet with mild soap and warm water. Don’t soak them.

When drying, pat each foot with a towel and dry between your toes.

Inspect your feet every day, even in between toes.

Use lotion to keep the skin soft and moist with urea based cream

but don’t use lotion between

your toes.

Trim your toe nails straight across. If you find an ingrown toenail, see your doctor.

Don’t use antiseptic solutions, heating pads or sharp instruments on your feet.

Keep your feet warm and dry and wear warm socks and shoes in the winter.

Don’t put them on radiators or in front of the fireplace.

Wear loose socks to bed.

Don’t smoke or sit cross-legged. Both decrease blood supply to your feet.

If you have, or think you have, diabetic feet, consult a board-certified foot and ankle specialist today. And, if you find any injury, no matter how slight, you are urged not to treat it yourself.

You should seek a board-certified foot and ankle specialist immediately. Most insurances cover diabetic foot health wounds and preventative treatments so there is little reason to delay.