Why You Should Never Ignore Ulcers on a Diabetic Foot

Unfortunately, ulcers on a foot are all too easy to ignore. After all, just about any mundane activity can cause an ulcer. Perhaps you walked a little longer than usual on a particular day. Perhaps you bought a new pair of shoes. And just like that, a small blister appears on your skin. A blister can quickly develop into a cut and eventually into an ulcer.

While for most people the appearance of a callus or a blister is nothing to worry about, a person with diabetes doesn’t have the luxury of inaction.
Major issues arise with diabetic patients when they lose feeling in their feet. Small innocuous blisters can quickly morph into a sore and then into a wound. Most podiatrists agree that at least 10% of diabetes patients will develop a foot ulcer. Diabetes patients are so susceptible to ulcers due to peripheral neuropathy. This is damage to the small nerves in the feet caused by diabetes. Ulcers can be prone to infection, and in the worst-case scenario, a person may have to have their leg amputated due to infection. Therefore, it’s imperative to never ignore even the smallest skin cut if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes.
Luckily by following some basic procedures you can greatly reduce your risk of developing a foot ulcer.

Ulcer Prevention on The Diabetic Foot

- Blood Sugar

To prevent ulcers it’s imperative to keep blood sugar levels under control at all times. If your glucose levels are high or out of control it can directly lead to neuropathy. This leads to a loss of feeling in the feet. When you can’t feel your feet it’s so much easier to not notice a developing sore.

Normal glucose levels also help sores and cuts to heal.

- Don’t Ignore Your Feet

A thorough foot examination should be part of your daily routine. It’s all too easy to miss small cuts and blisters. And it’s these blisters and cuts that can lead to much more serious ulcers if left unchecked.

How Foot Ulcers are Treated

One effective method is for a doctor to remove the infected tissue around the ulcer. This encourages the body’s natural healing process, helping to close the wound more quickly. Pressure around the ulcer can also negatively affect healing, so a diabetic patient may be advised to wear a cast or a surgical shoe until the wound heals.

Remember that prevention is always much better than treatment. Therefore you should never ignore a cut or a blister as this may be the beginning of ulcer development.

For more information on foot care, please visit our diabetic foot page for more information or book a consultation in our podiatry clinic today.