Putting Your Foot Down – The Issues with Diabetes Foot Ulcers

The most crippling effect of diabetes, literally is foot ulceration. This may lead to one of the debilitating effects of diabetes, which is amputation of a foot or leg. This is the final step in the fight with the disease resulting in poor circulation, reduction of sensory perception and dry skin. Another effect of diabetes is the susceptibility of the individual to yeast and other fungal infections as there is a compromised immune system and slower healing process compared to non-diabetics.

Proper Foot Care and Hygiene

These problems may seem minor enough during the early stages of the diabetic condition. The first sign that there is a problem is when a wound fails to heal properly after some time. The best way to avoid this simple problem to add on as a complicated condition is by improving personal hygiene. These include proper foot and skin care, even proper dental hygiene is important in the prevention, identification and proper treatment of diabetes. There are seven basic tips to include in a diabetic’s routine to prevent the occurrence of skin disease leading to ulcers.

• Keep yourself dry. Towel dry as thoroughly as possible after baths and washing, paying special attention to the space between one’s toes. Also, changing socks and shoes also helps prevent the proliferation of fungus in the foot region. Another area that needs to be kept dry is where skin touches skin as these areas are prone to fungal growth.
• Examine your feet daily. Check your feet for redness, fungal infections such as athlete’s foot, nail conditions, cut, scratches, sores and calluses. It is best to examine them before you wear shoes for the first time each day to be able to take the necessary steps to prevent complications on these foot problems.
• Take care of your skin. The use of creams for the feet help in the prevention of calluses and sore spots. These keep moisture in to prevent the skin from becoming dry, much like what the commercials say. The best time for this regimen of foot care would be after you shower or bathe.
• Feet care is a must. You need to take care of your feet but when taking a pedicure, remind your manicurist as to your diabetic condition. This allows them to be more careful as to foot care and they would observe any unhealthy changes as to the condition of your feet. Also, ask them to cut nails straight to avoid the occurrence of ingrown nails and prevent calluses from building up.
• Wear the right shoes. Making the choice of comfort over style as to shoes is the best way to manage diabetes. Shoes that rub, pinch or cause blisters or calluses are the sure fire ways of complicating matters for diabetics. Also, socks help in protecting the feet from the pounding of the shoes.
• Avoid scratching. Scratching on dry skin or mosquito bites will result in skin breaking and wounding. Break the habit of scratching what itches because if you do, you can open a wound, cause an infection resulting in an ulcer.
• Seek immediate treatment. If you are a diabetic, the smallest scratch or wound or swelling needs to be treated immediately to avoid complications from occurring. Apply antibiotic cream on open wounds and cover it to avoid further irritation. Use antifungal cream at the first sign of an infection. If there is redness on your feet due to friction, identify it right away to prevent it from becoming a wound.

The Medical Causes for Diabetic Ulcers

Diabetes, be it onset or juvenile, results from the lack of or improper production of insulin in the body. Insulin is the hormone that regulates the amount of and use of blood glucose levels in the body. The lack or of improper management of blood glucose levels result in damage to nerves, kidneys, eyes and the blood vessels. This also results in the impairment of the body’s immune system. And when the extremities are attacked by fungal infections that left unattended may result in serious infections.

Another part of the body that are impaired by diabetes is the nervous system. The sweat and oil production of the extremities are impaired, resulting in the lack of lubrication on the skin. This makes for skin dryness and with the normal wear and tear of the feet, breakage occurs that may result in sores and ulcers.

The body’s blood vessels are also impaired with diabetes, and this taken together with the compromised immune system makes the sore very difficult to manage and heal. The open skin allows for bacterial infection to occur. When this happens, the connective tissue, muscles and bone infections would soon follow. This can develop into gangrene because of the poor blood flow and the lowered immune system. Antibiotics cannot reach the affected area resulting in the spreading of the gangrene all over the foot. This would lead to the medical decision of whether to amputate the foot or not to prevent the further spread of the infection throughout the body via the bloodstream.

The Habits for Diabetics and Foot Care

The proper care for the feet of diabetics requires a special regimen. This is because of the special condition that the diabetic undergo. Here are some of the tips that can be used at the end of the day for the diabetic.

• Wash your feet with warm and not hot water. One of  the problems with diabetes is the condition known as peripheral neuropathy or the inability to feel sensations in the arms and legs or sharp pains in your feet, making it too sensitive even to the slightest touch and pain ensues. The warm water helps the nerves become sensitive and also kills the bacteria that may inhabit in the area.
• Avoid going barefoot. Skin exposed makes for the risk of wounding and abrasion is heightened by being barefoot. Wearing thick socks and allowing the feet to breathe after a day of being kept allows for better feet care.
• Do low impact exercises. Many exercises result in increased stress on the feet, and this can be a graver problem for diabetics. Turn to other low foot impact exercises such as swimming, cycling, yoga or tai chi for your exercise needs to relieve the stress on the feet.

Related posts:

1. The Reason why Diabetics Suffer Bluriness and Dizziness
2. The Reasons Why Blood Sugar Rises
3. The Red Spots on Feet
4. Promising New Treatment for Foot Infections
5. Seven Good Habits for Preventing Diabetic Ulcers

Tagged as: Diabetic Foot Ulcers, Foot Care and Hygiene