how to get rid of diabetic foot ulcers?

A diabetic foot ulcer is an open sore or wound that occurs in approximately 15 percent of patients with diabetes and is commonly located on the bottom of the foot. Of those who develop a foot ulcer, six percent will be hospitalized due to infection or other ulcer-related complications.

Foot ulcers can be caused by vascular disease, namely chronic venous insufficiency (venous ulcers), Peripheral Arterial Disease (arterial ulcers), and nerve damage.

Diabetic ulcers are the most common foot injuries leading to lower extremity amputation. Family physicians have a pivotal role in preventing or early diagnosis of diabetic foot complications. Management of the diabetic foot requires a thorough knowledge of the major risk factors for amputation, frequent routine evaluation, and meticulous preventive maintenance.

When diabetes is not well controlled, long-term complications can develop and affect many different areas of the body. Uncontrolled blood sugar can cause blood vessel injury that can lead to cardiovascular disease, kidney damage, nerve injury in the extremities, and eye problems. Diabetes can also make a person more susceptible to skin infections. Elaine K. Luo, MD Answers represent the opinions of our medical experts.

One of the first signs of a foot ulcer is drainage from your foot that might stain your socks or leak out in your shoe. Unusual swelling, irritation, redness, and odors from one or both feet are also common early symptoms. The basics of foot complications Neuropathy Although it can hurt, diabetic nerve damage can also lessen your ability to feel pain, heat, and cold. Loss of feeling often means you may not feel a foot injury. You could have a tack or stone in your shoe and walk on it all day without knowing. You could get a blister and not feel it. You might not notice a foot injury until the skin breaks down and becomes infected.

Another problem that diabetes can lead to is a blockage of the blood vessels in the kidney, which makes the kidneys work less efficiently. In sporadic cases, this can lead to kidney failure and the need for dialysis or even a kidney transplant. Another reason why diabetes affects people’s health and health costs is that 1 in 10 people with diabetes gets a foot ulcer.

Because of reduced circulation and nerve damage, diabetic patients are essentially prone to developing foot ulcers, a major cause of amputations. They are able to feel foot infections, which allow them to grow and cause permanent damage. Proper foot care is essential and includes avoiding injuries oral restricting circulation, cleaning wounds, controlling infections, relieving weight from the ulcer area, and improving circulation.

Patients should be aware that foot problems are a common problem for patients with diabetes. Informing them of what to look for is an important teaching concern. The signs and symptoms of foot problems to emphasize are feet that are cold, blue or black in color, feet that are warm and red in color, foot swelling, foot pain when resting or with activity, weak pulses in the feet, not feeling pain although there is a cut or sore on foot, shiny smooth skin on the feet and lower legs Exercise and Diabetes A moderate weight loss of ten to twenty pounds has been known to improve hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertension.

How to treat a foot ulcer?

Firstly, diagnosing what type of wound or what kind of symptoms one has is essential. Then clean the wound if infected apply silver gel to reduce the infected area. Then apply collagen wound dressing as it provides a collagen source. The debridement of the skin tissue has to be removed for the wound to heal. Apply the required amount of particle dressing or sponge dressing to the wound.