How to Prevent Wounds and Ulcers If You Have Diabetes – Center For Advance Wound Care

Do you notice pus coming out of a week old scrape that hasn’t healed yet? Is your stubbed toe taking forever to heal? You may ask whether it’s normal for the scrape or wound to take so long to heal. Well, minor wounds hardly take a couple of weeks to heal but with a medical condition like diabetes, it can slow down the healing process and turn into infections or pressure ulcers which are very painful.

 

Ulcers and soreness among diabetics are common issues. About 70% of people suffering from diabetes  develop ulcers or wounds that can worsen with time. Experts talk about the importance of prevention that can help with avoiding the risks associated with ulcers which can get infected or in the worst cases lead to amputation.

 

What are the Signs of Ulcer or Tissue Damage?

It is quite difficult for diabetic sores to heal without the intervention of medical help or doctor. Before that it is important to know how to identify tissue damage or signs of an ulcer.

 

1. Feels painful when touched or tender
2. Pus oozes out
3. Has dark edges and is unusual in color
4. Smells bad
5. A wound that is more than 4 weeks old.

 

If a wound takes more than a month to heal then it is considered chronic. Despite the possibility for a wound to heal on its own, it is better to consult a doctor to identify why the wound is not healing to get the right treatment

 

What Causes Diabetic Wounds or Ulcers?

 

Diabetic foot ulcers are the result of decreased blood flow, peripheral neuropathy, and high plantar pressure are factors that pose a significant threat to limb loss or death. It is important to understand the critical aspects of wound healing mechanism and also get to know the psychological status of the patient. The doctor initiates an exclusive treatment strategy based on the type of wound of the patient. 

Other than methodical prescription of antibiotics and surgical procedures, wound care is a crucial part of diabetic foot ulcer management.

 

Here are the key points showing how a callus leads to ulcer:

 

1.Formation of callus on the foot due to walking and thickening of skin

 2.The callus eventually may get damaged as a diabetic person with neuropathy may not feel the wound or hurt that is on the feet.

3.The damaged callus is not treated at the right time

4. Leading to skin erosion and eventually forming ulcers.

What  Value does it bring to the patient when a Diabetic Foot Ulcer is treated?

Diabetes patients with foot ulcers are treated for the following reasons:

1. To improve the quality of life
2. To reduce the risk of infection and amputation
3. Reduce the exorbitant health care cost

 

Well, here’s what you can do to prevent or lower your chance of having Ulcers.

Tips to Prevent Ulcers:

 

• Keep a check on your blood sugar levels:
  Proper blood sugar control is the best way to avoid cuts or sores and pressure ulcers. If you find it difficult to manage your blood sugar it is always better to consult your doctor. They can change the medication prescribed to you and help you with tips to change your lifestyle that will definitely bring a significant change in blood sugar level. It is crucial to constantly keep a check on your sugar level because in case you have neuropathy that will deprive you of the sensation  that is felt in case you damage your skin.

• Check your skin everyday: To check your skin every day is mandatory in case you are suffering from diabetes, especially pay attention to your feet. Keep a check and look for discoloration of any sort, thick calluses, redness, sores, white spots, cuts or cracks. Do not wait till the pain increases, even a slight feeling of warm or cold is a sign of open wound that can develop into an ulcer.

Ulcers are most likely to form at the bottom of your big toe so it is better to clean and check your feet every night.

• Quit Smoking : Smoking decreases the flow of blood, damages skin and also your blood vessels. It slows healing. This habit may increase the risk of ulcer or amputation.

 

• Avoid Walking Barefoot : Toes and feet have a higher chance of getting injured when you are barefoot. Hence increasing the chance of serious problems. Health insurance and Mediclaim may also include the cover for prescription shoes that reduces the chances of foot ulcers and wounds. 

 

• Regular examinations : The saying “A stitch in time saves nine” is absolutely applicable here. Often a quick treatment when there is a small wound can prevent the problem from escalating. Examine your feet everyday for cuts or ulcers or wounds and get it treated as soon as possible. This step is very important after going for a walk or being on your feet the whole day. In addition to this, regular podiatric care plays a major role in taking care of your feet.

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• Diabetes Management: When blood sugar levels shoot up it is putting you at a risk of diabetes related problems. Diabetes not only affects the blood circulation of your body but almost every other system. Vision, nervous system, digestive system, urinary tract and cardiovascular system as well. Managing diabetes includes medication, well-balanced diet, exercise and making sure that you monitor your blood sugar levels.

• Foot and nail care : Taking care of your feet and nails is important in addition to  managing diabetes. These are the tips to keep in mind for foot and nail care:

 

1. Wash feet daily with normal water or lukewarm water 
2. Dry feet thoroughly to escape the risk of fungal infections
3. Moisturize your feet to reduce the risk of cracked heels
4. Keep nails trimmed
5. Wear a good pair of socks to avoid blisters 
6. Avoid keeping heating pads on the feet

 

Tip to remember: Often blisters may bring in the risk of turning into an infected wound easily for diabetic patients, it is important to select supportive shoes that provide arch support.

Surgical Options

Foot ulcers do not always need surgery, however, when treatment fails, surgical management may be the appropriate option. Here are some examples of removing pressure on the area that include correction of deformities, bunions or hammertoes.

How to Treat Ulcers?

 

If you find the color of your skin changing or notice a wound that is not healing then consult your doctor immediately. To speed up the healing process, the doctor is likely to do a procedure called debridement which removes unhealthy tissues.

The doctor will also help you to secure your wound from getting infected.
The steps recommended by doctors include:

1. Clean your ulcer daily with soap and water
2. Do not soak your wound in a bath or whirlpool or hydrogen peroxide as it will increase your chances of getting an infection.
3. Keep the ulcer covered and bandaged. Doctors will recommend specific steps while bandaging the wound depending on where the ulcer is located. 
4. Wound Care will comprise of wound debridement, vascular treatment and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.          .

 

If you are stressed about diabetes foot ulcer or wounds don’t fret, because here’s the good news. There are ways for patients with diabetes to help with wound healing.

 

Wound Healing At Centre for Advanced Wound Care Oxnard. 

 

The wound care at  Centre for Advanced Wound Care Oxnard specialize in treatments for slow-healing and chronic wounds. 

As a comprehensive wound care clinic, we provide:

•  An all-inclusive analysis, 
• blood-work,
• circulation tests,
•  X-rays, 
• exclusive treatments, 
• advanced foot wound care healing therapies, 
• grafts (including amniotic stem cell based tissue),
•  Patient Education and Surgery.

 

We aspire to help anyone with  diabetic foot ulcer as efficiently as possible and to eliminate diabetic foot infection and recurring complications. We accurately diagnose and give you a  thorough report to professionally and efficiently manage your foot wound care. 

 

If you’d like to know more about wound prevention or diabetic wound treatment, schedule an appointment at the Centre for Advanced Wound Care Oxnard.